Two years after it was acquired by Facebook, mobile messaging application Whatsapp said Thursday that it will begin to share some of users’ information with the social media giant.
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WhatsApp says it is updating its terms and privacy policy to open up the messaging app to sharing data with parent company Facebook, including users’ phone numbers. It provides an example of hearing from your bank about a potentially fraudulent transaction or getting notifications from an airline about a delayed flight. The data, such as a user’s phone number, could be used to improve targeted ads when users are on Facebook or Instagram, the company said. You will not see ads on WhatsApp, but you could definitely start seeing Facebook friend suggestions and ads based on your data from WhatsApp.
Interestingly, Facebook Messenger is also making a business play with chat bots, a contrast to WhatsApp’s more basic push on the market.
Users should also maintain the ability to block any messages that are sent to them, whether personal or from companies.
The company has added other features meant to keep messages secret, including end-to-end encryption. Existing users will be able to opt out of sharing their phone number with Facebook. However, WhatsApp promptly reassured users that the company’s commitment to privacy would not change in any way.
That’s a big deal because a phone number is required to use WhatsApp, as its more than one billion users are already aware.
If you initially agree to the updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, you can go into your settings and into the account section to uncheck the box for sharing account information with Facebook.
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WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy states that “nothing you share on WhatsApp”, including messages, photos and account information, will be shared onto Facebook and will remain private.
