Updated february 19, 2021
After the postponement of the update of the privacy data, WhatsApp returns to the subject with clearer communication to reassure its users.
A banner will be shown on its app to explain precisely the terms of the update. This will mainly concern its professional application: WhatsApp Business. Its deployment is scheduled for May 15, 2021.
Acceptance of this new update will allow you to share your data with Facebook for WhatsApp Business and allow for more transparency about the collection, sharing and use of user data. Your personal conversations will never be accessible by WhatsApp or Facebook and your phone number will not be transmitted to the companies without your consent.
Updated on 18 January 2021
No accounts will be suspended by the deadline announced February 08, 2021.
WhatsApp announces that they are delaying the time it takes its users to agree to update its privacy policyby 3 months. They now want to help their users understand this new privacy policy and avoid losing too many users who are gradually turning to other instant messaging applications.
Note: Despite the acceptance of this update, WhatsApp reassures its users: end-to-end encryption means that neither they nor Facebook can access messages exchanged between users. So they can’t see your private messages, your call history, or even your contacts.
WhatsApp forces its users to share their data with Facebook
As of February 8, if you have not yet accepted the terms of the new privacy policy,you will no longer be able to use your account.
The purpose of this new privacy policy is to get your consent to share your data from the WhatsApp messaging service with the social network Facebook.
What is WhatsApp?
It’s an instant messagingservice, allowing two people or groups of people toexchange messages,photos or videos.
These messages can be sent via an internet connection,very convenient when you are for example traveling abroad and you do not want to communicate through your phone operator. This avoids the off-plan because only an internet connection allows the exchange of instant messages and calls.
Since its inception, WhatsApp has been using end-to-end encrypted messages, and no organization has access to the conversations contained in its messaging. Purchased by the Facebook group in 2014, this instant messaging is used by more than 2 billion people worldwide.
WhatsApp as of February 8, 2021
What will change from 08 February next after the acceptance of the new privacy policy is the sharing of information such as:
- Your phone number
- Your transaction data
- Information about your interactions
- Or your IP address.
Here’s WhatsApp’s release on this update:
“The information we share with other Facebook entities includes your account registration information (such as your phone number), transaction data, service-related information, information about how you interact with others, including businesses, when you use our services, information about your mobile device, your IP address, and may include other information identified in the privacy policy section titled “We Collect Information” , or obtained after notifying you or on the basis of your consent.”
In European countries, WhatsApp services are processed by WhatsApp Ireland Limited.
In the rest of the world It is WhatsApp LLC. As a result, there are differences in privacy policy.
In Europe,the sole purpose of this update is to help WhatsApp “Exercise, Improve and Grow Business” especially for the professional version of WhatsApp Business.
The data collected cannot therefore be used to improve the targeting of advertisements and Facebook will not be able to exploit this data for its own purposes.
Unlike countries outside the European Union, which will see their data used to optimise the suggestion of advertising content.
What about Switzerland?
Swiss WhatsApp users are subject to a special regime: they are protected by the RGPD,as are all users residing inEuropean Unioncountries.
“There is no change in WhatsApp’s data-sharing practices in the European region (including Switzerland) as a result of the updated terms of use and privacy policy. To remove any doubt, WhatsApp does not share the data of its users in the European region with Facebook in order for the latter to use this data to improve its products or advertisements.” says a spokesman for the company WhatsApp to “Temps”.
Even though Switzerland is outside the European Union, the RGPD protects Swiss users for the time being.
(BDM source)