The instant messaging app has updated its privacy policy, allowing owner Facebook more access to user data, including their phone numbers. At the bottom you will see an already marked box that reads “share my WhatsApp account information with Facebook”, uncheck the box.
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WhatsApp on Thursday offered a glimpse of its plans for turning on the money spigot, releasing new documents that describe the company’s privacy policy and the terms of service that users must agree to follow. Again, no need for alarm. Head to the app’s settings menu, and then press the account tab.
Almost two and a half years after Facebook acquired WhatsApp, and despite Whatsapp CEO Jan Koum saying at the time of the acquisition that user privacy wouldn’t suffer, the services are about to get a little bit friendlier with their data sharing.
The Blog post is titled #Looking ahead for WhatsApp.
This will stop WhatsApp from sharing your data with Facebook.
“We still do not allow third-party banner ads on WhatsApp”, said in its latest blogpost.
In 2014, the social media giant, Facebook, purchased WhatsApp for $16 billion.
Privacy advocates had raised concerns that Facebook would start mining WhatsApp accounts for data.
However, WhatsApp claim the new change can actually help users.
If you have already accepted those new terms, you can still opt out – as long as it is within 30 days. “We have no intention to introduce them, but if we ever do, we will update this policy”.
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said the changes would affect “a lot of people”, with some thinking it will mean “a better service” and others “concerned by the lack of control”.
We’ve been informed of the changes.
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While organisations did not need to get prior permission from the ICO to change how they handle personal data, any change had to remain within data protection laws, she added. We are looking into this.
