WhatsApp has published a new FAQ page to its website outlining its stances on user privacy in response to widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update. The core issue relates to WhatsApp’s data-sharing procedures with Facebook, with many users concerned an updated privacy policy going into effect on February 8th will mandate sharing of sensitive profile information with WhatsApp’s parent company, the Verge reported.
That isn’t true — the update has nothing to do with consumer chats or profile data, and instead the change is designed to outline how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its chats on Facebook servers. That’s something the company feels it is required to disclose in its privacy policy, which it’s now doing after previewing the upcoming changes to business chats back in October, writes the Verge.
But a wave of misinformation on social media, not helped by Facebook’s abysmal track record on privacy and its reputation for obfuscating changes to its various terms of service agreements, has resulted in a full-blown WhatsApp backlash that has users fleeing to competitors like Signal and Telegram.
As the controversy has grown, Signal has become one of the most downloaded apps on Android and iOS and its verification system for signing up new users has repeatedly buckled under the pressure. Telegram, which is currently No. 2 behind Signal on the App Store, saw more than 25 million new users sign up in just the last 72 hours.
Telegram surpassed 500 million active users. 25 million new users joined in the last 72 hours: 38% came from Asia, 27% from Europe, 21% from Latin America and 8% from MENA. https://t.co/1LptHZb9PQ
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) January 12, 2021
WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart also took to Twitter to explain what’s actually going on.
“With end-to-end encryption, we cannot see your private chats or calls and neither can Facebook. We’re committed to this technology and committed to defending it globally,” Cathcart wrote. “It’s important for us to be clear this update describes business communication and does not change WhatsApp’s data sharing practices with Facebook. It does not impact how people communicate privately with friends or family wherever they are in the world.”
“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,” the company writes on the new FAQ page.
It also stresses in the FAQ that neither Facebook nor WhatsApp read users’ message logs or listen to their calls, and that WhatsApp doesn’t store user location data or share contact information with Facebook. (It’s also worth noting that data sharing with Facebook is extremely limited for European users due to stronger user privacy protections in the EU.)
Our privacy policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family. Learn more about how we protect your privacy as well as what we do NOT share with Facebook here: https://t.co/VzAnxFR7NQ
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 12, 2021
Read the full article at theverge.com.
its too late?
Just look at the headline!
WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving ALL your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users
Still don’t trust them, if they are capable of shutting people down because they disagree with them why support them
Many shluchim were shut down for giving classes and mentioning that torah and mitzvahs are the cure for covid. The reason for being shut down? Their fact checkers didn’t approve the information. They have the power to do that I do not trust anything that is owned by Facebook
Zuckerberg already announced in a personal presentation on FB that he is going to do it. He’s backtracking his rhetoric only because they are losing customers. Plans and intention haven’t changed at all, only his lying words. Don’t believe the cover up!
Same with youtube and all other social media
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BBC reported that Facebook (ie including WhatsApp and messenger) has a data sharing agreement with Huawei (ie Chinese Communist Party). They can damage-control now all they want – they’ve been caught too many times for anyone to believe them anymore. They view their naive users and their (private) data as commodity. Signal it is (for the time being)..
This is owned by Facebook and not for frum Yidden
I hope collive isnt hosted on AWS
As the daughter of an American soldier that stormed the beaches of Normandy to protect his country, a country that I fear is no longer what is was, an overwhelming sadness overcame me. The Rebbe, loved America, despite its shortcomings, and was so grateful, for its freedoms, coming from such a repressive and evil country. As I watched a Republican senator near tears, on youtube ( for now, at least you can see it) lamenting the loss of any opposing speech, or opposite views in those hallowed halls, suppressed from those in power now, any critics shamed into silence. The power… Read more »
“WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart also took to Twitter to explain what’s actually going on…”
Now, only some people get the privilege of using twitter. I guess those are whom we can call the “twits”
ladies and gentlemen we have to believe them there are trying to explain themselves you just have to listen to them now get off of telegram and go back on WhatsApp and have trust in Facebook and Hashem and anyways are you really that secretive and NO-ONE else can see what you wrote??? unless your like a criminal then go to telegram!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!