WhatsApp will allow new privacy policy to take effect later
WhatsApp users were confronted with a pop-up last week asking to ‘agree’ to new privacy terms. Conditions stating that data might be shared with Facebook. After a considerable news wave, WhatsApp has reversed the decision: the policy will now only come into effect later.
WhatsApp Privacy Policy
WhatsApp’s new privacy policy, which was announced with a pop-up requiring users to give their consent, is suspicious due to Facebook’s mention. Rumors soon spread – it was thought that with the amended policy WhatsApp ‘got permission’ to share conversations from the chat service with Facebook. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Facebook later stated in response to the rumors.
The new privacy policy, which initially had to take effect on February 8, has to do with the conversations that people can have with companies via WhatsApp, Facebook stated in a response. With all the rumors going, many users made the decision to leave the messaging platform. For the users it meant a ‘search’ for another messaging platform. For platforms such as the privacy-friendly Signal, it resulted in a significant increase in user numbers.
WhatsApp occupies a prominent place on the home screen on many phones: the question is whether it will remain so.
In an announcement on Friday, Facebook announced that it will take a step back. Instead of the new privacy policy taking effect on February 8, this launch will be postponed to May 15; the postponement therefore lasts three months. With the extra time, Facebook wants to help its users understand the “facts of the company’s policies and principles.” However, a change to the policy that users were presented with will not follow, WhatsApp told The Verge.
Improved communication
WhatsApp will, however, ensure that users do not lose their access to the platform once the new policies take effect. Users who do not yet know whether they want to agree to the rules can temporarily refrain from giving their consent. They will be able to decide ‘at their own pace’ whether they want to agree to the policy. The company has not announced how much time will be available before WhatsApp will require users to agree.
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Meanwhile, privacy concerns about the use of WhatsApp are growing; the service itself denies that there is insight into messages from users. As known from WhatsApp, sent messages are secured with end-to-end encryption – a security technology that only allows the sender and recipient of the message to access the message. Despite messages and other data being sent through the social media giant’s servers, WhatsApp cannot access your messages, the company explained in a Twitter message and separate blog post.
Data storage via Facebook
WhatsApp says the policy is necessary to enable a new feature where WhatsApp users can make purchases from a company via the chat service. For this you can knock on the door of companies via the chat service. WhatsApp needs to store some data from these conversations on Facebook’s servers; a step for which WhatsApp users must give explicit permission.
What do you think of this explanation of WhatsApp? Are you happy that WhatsApp is taking longer to implement this policy, or do you believe that the new policy should be dropped? Be sure to let us know in the comments at the bottom of the article.
