WhatsApp Facing Massive Backlash: Delays Implementation of New Privacy Policy by Three Months
By: Ashwathy Nair
The Company stated that originally, the policy change was scheduled to be coming into effect on 8th February.
It has been clarified by WhatsApp that the update won’t be affecting the distribution of data with Facebook with respect to personal conversations or other profile information and it will only address business chats at the time when a user speaks with the customer service platform of a company through WhatsApp.
In a company blog, WhatsApp stated that “With the recent updates on new privacy policy, a lot of confusions were created. There has been a lot of misinformation causing concern and WhatsApp wants to help everyone with understanding their principles and the facts.”
It further stated that “WhatsApp was being built on a simple idea focusing on what you share with your friends and family will stay between you. This means that WhatsApp will always be protecting all the personal conversations with end-to-end encryption so that the private messages will neither be seen by WhatsApp nor Facebook. That is the reason WhatsApp does not keep records of everyone’s messaging or calling. It cannot even see its user’s shared locations and no contacts is being shared with Facebook.”
“The update on WhatsApp will also be including new options like people will have to message a business on WhatsApp and after that, it will be providing further transparency concerning how it will be collecting and using data. While, today not everyone shops with a business on WhatsApp, it is being thought that in the future, people will be choosing to do so and its important that people are aware of these services. The new update on privacy policy does not expand the ability of WhatsApp to share data with Facebook.”
It was stated by the company that it was moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and update the terms.
On 8th February no one will be having their account suspended or deleted. There are a lot more to be done to clear up the fabrication around how privacy and security functions on WhatsApp.
In order to clear up the confusion, a separate blog post was released by WhatsApp on Friday, and it included a chart that lays down what information is protected when someone uses WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is now going to use the three-month delay for better communication regarding both the changes in its new policy and its long-standing privacy practices around personal chats, location sharing, and other sensitive data.
The company stated that if users didn’t agree or accept the new terms of service agreement that communicated the changes earlier this month, no one will be losing access to the app.
“A lot more is to be done in order to clear up the misrepresentation concerning how privacy and security work on WhatsApp. Step by step, the policy will be reviewed at the user’s own pace before new business options are available on 15th May.”
