Mixed Reactions Over New ‘WhatsApp Privacy’ Terms

The announcement that WhatsApp will be unveiling new rules – and
forcing users to agree to them – has created fear among users who
rely on the messaging app to stay in touch with friends and
family.

WhatsApp has long prided itself on its commitment to security
and privacy, with ‘encrypted conversations’ and other important
technologies integrated into the app.

Millions of users have reportedly ditched WhatsApp, with many
switching to Telegram and Signal in the past few days amid fears
over their privacy. Many took to social media to express their
displeasure.

The Facebook-owned messaging service has received a lot of
criticism after it disclosed that users must agree to share their
data with the social network in order to keep using the
service.

This data includes phone numbers, IP addresses, browser
information, battery level, operating system, app version, mobile
network, language and time zone, The Nation gathered.

The updated terms will allow additional sharing of information
between WhatsApp and Facebook and its other applications like
Instagram and Messenger such as contacts and profile data but not
the ‘content of messages which remain encrypted’.

“As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives
information from, and shares information with, this family of
companies,” the new privacy policy states.

“We may use the information we receive from them, and they may
use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide,
improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services
and their offerings.”

Those who don’t accept the revamped privacy policy by February 8
will no longer be able to use the app.

Facebook aims to monetise WhatsApp by allowing businesses to
contact their clients via the platform and to sell them products
directly using the service, as they already do in India.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, world’s richest person has asked users to
switch to a messaging app called ‘Signal’. He appealed to people to
switch to more encrypted apps than WhatsApp and Facebook

Also, Telegram picked up nearly 2.2 million downloads, according
to data analytics firm Sensor Tower.

WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart however took to Twitter to clear the
controversy on the privacy of users, He said: “I want to share how
committed everyone @WhatsApp is to providing private communication
for two billion people around the world.

“At our core, that’s the ability to message or call loved ones
freely protected by end-to-end encryption and that’s not changing.
With end-to-end encryption, we cannot see your private chats or
calls and neither can Facebook. “We’re committed to this technology
and committed to defending it globally.”

The announcement that WhatsApp will be unveiling new rules – and
forcing users to agree to them – has created fear among users who
rely on the messaging app to stay in touch with friends and
family.

WhatsApp has long prided itself on its commitment to security
and privacy, with ‘encrypted conversations’ and other important
technologies integrated into the app.

Millions of users have reportedly ditched WhatsApp, with many
switching to Telegram and Signal in the past few days amid fears
over their privacy. Many took to social media to express their
displeasure.

The Facebook-owned messaging service has received a lot of
criticism after it disclosed that users must agree to share their
data with the social network in order to keep using the
service.

This data includes phone numbers, IP addresses, browser
information, battery level, operating system, app version, mobile
network, language and time zone, The Nation gathered.

The updated terms will allow additional sharing of information
between WhatsApp and Facebook and its other applications like
Instagram and Messenger such as contacts and profile data but not
the ‘content of messages which remain encrypted’.

“As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives
information from, and shares information with, this family of
companies,” the new privacy policy states.

“We may use the information we receive from them, and they may
use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide,
improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services
and their offerings.”

Those who don’t accept the revamped privacy policy by February 8
will no longer be able to use the app.

Facebook aims to monetise WhatsApp by allowing businesses to
contact their clients via the platform and to sell them products
directly using the service, as they already do in India.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, world’s richest person has asked users to
switch to a messaging app called ‘Signal’. He appealed to people to
switch to more encrypted apps than WhatsApp and Facebook

Also, Telegram picked up nearly 2.2 million downloads, according
to data analytics firm Sensor Tower.

WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart however took to Twitter to clear the
controversy on the privacy of users, He said: “I want to share how
committed everyone @WhatsApp is to providing private communication
for two billion people around the world.

“At our core, that’s the ability to message or call loved ones
freely protected by end-to-end encryption and that’s not changing.
With end-to-end encryption, we cannot see your private chats or
calls and neither can Facebook. “We’re committed to this technology
and committed to defending it globally.”