WhatsApp has announced a three-month delay in the implementation of its new privacy policy. The policy was to originally take effect on 8th February 2021 but will now delay due to widespread confusion over the new policy’s mandate on data sharing with Facebook.
The new WhatsApp privacy policy does not in fact affect data sharing with Facebook with regard to user chats or other profile information (you can read more here).
The Facebook subsidiary has also repeatedly clarify that its update addresses business chats if the user chats with a company’s customer service platform using the platform.
“We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update. There’s been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts,” the company wrote in a new blog post.
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WhatsApp has actually been sharing certain information with Facebook since 2016. The information includes your phone number, except you chose to opt-out of the data sharing option at the time.
The company says it however does not look at people’s chat messages or listen to their phone calls. It says conversations on its platform are end-to-end encrypted to protect user data from itself.
We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption. pic.twitter.com/6qDnzQ98MP
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 12, 2021
The use of broad language in the new privacy policy which WhatsApp says is being misconstrued to imply compulsory data sharing which has resulted in a huge privacy backlash. The effect of the backlash has seen rivals like Signal and Telegram see a surge in sign-ups and downloads
WhatsApp says it will use this three-month delay to better communicate the changes in its new policy. It also plans to better communicate its long-standing privacy practices surrounding personal chats, location sharing, and other sensitive data. “We’re now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms,” it says.
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