WhatsApp to Begin Sharing User Data with FB

New Privacy Policy for FB Owned WhatsApp

[not2easy]

WhatsApp has changed their Privacy Policy and will begin sharing user data including phone numbers with FaceBook. WhatsApp users have 30 days to opt out of this data sharing change.

From BBC News: [bbc.com...]

WhatsApp says it will begin sharing more data with Facebook and will start letting some companies send messages to users.

It is the first time the company has changed its privacy policy since the firm was bought by Facebook in 2014.

WhatsApp will now share users' phone numbers with the social network, which it will use to provide "more relevant" friend suggestions and advertisements.

From Forbes: [forbes.com...]

WhatsApp today announced its first privacy policy update in four years as it let users know how and why it will share data with Facebook.

Whilst the messaging app has added end-to-end encryption, preventing any snoops or marketing Mad Men from reading texts, it will share certain data with Facebook, which bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014. Ultimately, that means the two will share phone numbers and some usage information.

If bothered by that potential privacy issue, users have 30 days from agreeing to the terms to stop Facebook grabbing the data.

[bill]

This is not going over too well with a lot of people. Although I liked to fact that they were the first large-scale company to implement the secure Signal protocol for chats, I don't like them handing Facebook and their advertisers my information this way. I will likely be deleting my account. I don't have many people I know who use this app anyway.

[not2easy]

The encrypted messages remain securely private, it is the profile information and contacts that get shared. They are offering users 30 days to opt out of that sharing and the articles explain how to do that.

[bill]

They're throwing up the straw-man argument that they're not invading your privacy because the chats are encrypted, but it's really the meta-data that they're after. They can glean a lot from that given their incredibly large user base.