Johannesburg – Millions of WhatsApp users have been left feeling on edge after the messaging app said that it will be sharing data with Facebook.
This comes after WhatsApp said that it would be updating its privacy policy. This new policy could have a significant impact on users.
WhatsApp changes:
- Updates to WhatsApp’s service and how it processes your data
- How businesses can use Facebook hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats
- How WhatsApp will partner with Facebook to offer integrations across Facebook Company products.
According to reports, WhatsApp said that these changes will come into effect on 8 February 2021.
Furthermore, if users do not agree to these updates and new changes, WhatsApp will block users and not allow them to use the app anymore.
The messaging app which is available as a free download is used by millions of people globally.
Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014.
Have you read: SA born Elon Musk becomes the richest man in the world
“As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of companies. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings,” WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy states.
“This includes helping improve infrastructure and delivery systems, understanding how our Services or theirs are used, securing systems, and fighting spam, abuse, or infringement activities.”
WhatsApp has stated that messages and media shared via the app will not be shared with Facebook though.
“Nothing you share on WhatsApp, including your messages, photos, and account information, will be shared onto Facebook or any of our other family of apps for others to see, and nothing you post on those apps will be shared on WhatsApp for others to see,” Facebook said.
“Your messages are yours, and we can’t read them. We’ve built privacy, end-to-end encryption, and other security features into WhatsApp. We don’t store your messages once they’ve been delivered. When they are end-to-end encrypted, we and third parties can’t read them.”
Take a look at how some users reacted to the news on Twitter below:
1Whatsapp after new privacy 'abhi maza aye ga na beruu'😂
2 whatsapp after seeing people switching to telegram 😂😂#WhatsappNewPolicy pic.twitter.com/2QOGfkDz0K— WITCHER (@tweetsby_ak) January 8, 2021
WhatsApp’s New Updated Policy:
Users will be blocked from using WhatsApp unless they agree to Facebook privacy changes.#WhatsApp #WhatsappPrivacy #WhatsappNewPolicy pic.twitter.com/0779nsgWpr
— The TRUTH Revealed (@truth_revealed2) January 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/F_Z1214/status/1347408284068818945?s=20
https://twitter.com/officialsuchi/status/1347424783332347905?s=20
If you're not paying for the product, then you're the product. . . . .🙃#WhatsappNewPolicy pic.twitter.com/FVgwjvuO2m
— Adarsh Vardhan Srivastava (@I_am_AvTheGr8T) January 7, 2021
Once more, the whole of South Africa accepted the new WhatsApp terms and conditions without reading them.
Goodnight
— SUNFLOWER 🌻 (@Lisa_ZeGurl) January 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/_________Numzzz/status/1347240851089608706?s=20
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
