Users did not welcome the updated privacy policy of WhatsApp. However, WhatsApp allows users the option of Agreed or not. If users disagreed with the updated privacy policy, they would not be able to use the app from February 8. Due to the new policy, WhatsApp users are considering other alternatives such as Telegram and Signal.
By about 4 million people since January 6 have been downloaded the other messaging apps. The updated privacy policy landed WhatsApp into a world of trouble.
The company has made its new privacy policy clear and stated that only the chats with businesses on WhatsApp would be shared with Facebook. At the same time, the private chats are still as secure as earlier. WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy is that the company will share user’s chats with Facebook.
WhatsApp printed their clarification regarding WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy in the form of full-page ads on newspapers with the title-“WhatsApp respects and protects your privacy” and “respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA” to make their point clearer.
The messaging app has then listed all the things that have changed and what hasn’t. In the ads, WhatsApp said that they and Facebook even couldn’t see your location.
“WhatsApp cannot see your private chats or hear your calls and neither can Facebook: every private message, video, photo, voice message and document you send your family, friends, and co-workers in one-on-one or group chats is secured by end-to-end encryption. It stays between you”.
On the other hand, the social media giant said,
“WhatsApp groups remain private; we use group membership to send messages and to protect our service from spam and abuse. We don’t share this data with Facebook for ad purposes. Again, these private messages are end-to-end encrypted, so we can’t see”.
Turning to the changes in the updated privacy policy, WhatsApp explained,
“We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.”
WhatsApp claimed that it doesn’t share contacts with Facebook or any other apps. It seems that WhatsApp trying to convince users that their chats are secure and safe. It is ridiculous that an online messaging app resorting to using a print ad in newspapers hasn’t fled anyone, and many took to social media to call it out.
Moreover, the messaging giant making a third attempt to clarify about privacy policy. Earlier, WhatsApp has published two statements to explain their point.
