WhatsApp users are now mandated to sharing data with Facebook. WhatsApp users all over are receiving overlay notice over its app asking to agree the changes made to the policy (shown below in picture).
In the notice, it states the key updates that talk about WhatsApp services and how it will process users data, how businesses can use Facebook hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats, and how it partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the Facebook Company Products.
Similar changes were announced in July of last year, however users had the option to not have the data shared between the platforms. Today’s update changes the whole story and sharing data must be agreed to continue using WhatsApp.
In case you agree to the new policy, WhatsApp will share the following information with other Facebook companies:
“The information we share with the other Facebook Companies includes your account registration information (such as your phone number), transaction data, service-related information, information on how you interact with others (including businesses) when using our Services, mobile device information, your IP address, and may include other information identified in the Privacy Policy section entitled ‘Information We Collect’ or obtained upon notice to you or based on your consent.“
Furthermore, the new privacy policy highlights in more details on how other Facebook companies will use the shared data from WhatsApp which includes:
- helping improve infrastructure and delivery systems;
- understanding how our Services or theirs are used;
- promoting safety, security and integrity across the Facebook Company Products, e.g., securing systems and fighting spam, threats, abuse, or infringement activities;
- improving their services and your experiences using them, such as making suggestions for you (for example, of friends or group connections, or of interesting content), personalizing features and content, helping you complete purchases and transactions, and showing relevant offers and ads across the Facebook Company Products; and
- providing integrations which enable you to connect your WhatsApp experiences with other Facebook Company Products. For example, allowing you to connect your Facebook Pay account to pay for things on WhatsApp or enabling you to chat with your friends on other Facebook Company Products, such as Portal, by connecting your WhatsApp account.
The new policy does seem to highlight the bigger goal of Facebook on providing better experience to users across all its platform but at a same time raises questions on privacy of users.
Read the new pricacy policy here.
