Although most users will just tap “I agree” to WhatsApp’s new T&C without reading them and realizing what they are agreeing to, there are two methods to opt out.
Advertisement
Facebook purchased Whatsapp a couple of years ago which (particularly for non-Facebook users) caused some concern about privacy with the potential for data sharing.
Mobile messaging service WhatsApp will give its parent company Facebook personal information including users’ phone numbers for targeted advertising purposes. Here’s how to stop WhatsApp from sharing your data with Facebook.
The company says that the information will be used for ads on Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as helping to improve the messaging platform. If you don’t want to share your data with Facebook, however, you can opt out.
When presented with WhatsApp’s new terms of service, choose “read” and scroll to the bottom of the page.
WhatsApp is keen to point out that users’ encrypted messages will stay private and the California-based firm won’t post, sell, share, or give your phone number to advertisers.
If you’ve already accepted those new terms, you can still opt out – as long as it’s within 30 days. Click the settings gear in the app, go to account and remove the check mark from the “share my account info” option.
Your phone number won’t be added to your Facebook profile, and your WhatsApp messages will not be shared onto Facebook for others to see.
Users launching the app today were told that agreeing to the new policy would see their account information shared with the “Facebook family of companies”, which includes Instagram and virtual reality tech company Oculus.
Advertisement
The decision comes four months after WhatsApp rolled out strong end-to-end encryption as a default feature for all users, saying this made the content of their communications impenetrable to all but those sending or receiving a given message.
