finally, French users will not have to deliver their data to Facebook
We told you about it this Thursday, January 7, 2021 in our columns. WhatsApp has sparked a heated debate by announcing the introduction of new terms of use related to user data. Indeed, the instant messaging service with 2 billion users has confirmed that it will transfer all of your personal data to its parent company: Facebook.
So we could read in these new conditions: ” This data may include information about your activity (including how you use our services, our preferences in the services, how you interact with others using our services, and the time, frequency and duration of your activities and interactions. ), log and diagnostic files, crashes, sites, and performance logs and reports ”.
A little clarification that changes everything, right?
As you can imagine, the news was not very well received by users. Faced with the scale of the controversy, WhatsApp took the floor to provide essential details. According to the company, European users will not be subject to the same rules and will not be required to share data with Facebook to improve the services of the social network.
A precision that changes everything you will agree. We also wonder why WhatsApp did not mention it earlier. Niamh Sweeney, WhatsApp Privacy Policy Officer, confirmed this difference in treatment for European users.
” It has been wrongly reported that the latest update to WhatsApp usage and privacy policy requires European users to agree to data sharing with Facebook for advertising purposes in order to continue using the service. is wrong “, she assured on Twitter.
2/5 It has been incorrectly reported that WhatsApp’s latest Terms of Service and Privacy Policy update requires users in the European Region to agree to the sharing of data with Facebook for ads purposes in order to continue using the service. This is false.
– Niamh Sweeney (@NiamhSweeneyNYC) January 7, 2021
In fact, a question arises? Why do European users still have to accept these new terms to continue using the app ? To allow businesses that only have Facebook to use WhatsApp to approach potential customers. Indeed, two situations emerge:
- Either the company in question has a WhatsApp account and can therefore take advantage of the encryption offered by WhatsApp to communicate in complete confidentiality with its customers
- Either it relies on Facebook to host the WhatsApp chat, and in fact the social network authorizes itself to exploit the data exchanged between the company, WhatsApp and the customer
That’s the end of the story. You must accept these new conditions in the event that you have one day planned to type the chat with a company on WhatsApp. And if you have already validated your choice, you cannot go back … Finally, the button Not now always remains the best solution in these situations.
Remember that Signal messaging is a very good alternative to WhatsApp and that in the same vein, ProtonMail offers an encrypted mailbox. This service based in Switzerland is also at the origin of ProtonVPN, a serious and ultra-secure service for 8 € / month.
Source: 01.net
