Update of February 19, 2021
After the postponement of the update of privacy data, WhatsApp returns to the subject with clearer communication to reassure its users.
A banner will be displayed on its application in order to precisely explain 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 the sharing of your data with Facebook for WhatsApp Business and more transparency in 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 companies without your consent.
Update of January 18, 2021
No account will be suspended by the deadline announced on February 08, 2021.
WhatsApp announces that they are pushing back 3 months the time allowed to its users to accept the update of its privacy policy . They now want to help their users fully understand this new privacy policy and avoid losing too many users who are gradually switching to other instant messaging apps.
To note : despite the acceptance of this update, WhatsApp reassures its users: end-to-end encryption means that neither they nor Facebook can have access to 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
Since the February 08 next, 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 news privacy policy is to get your agreement for share your data messaging service WhatsApp with the social network Facebook .
WhatsApp what is it?
It is a service of instant messaging , allowing 2 people or groups of people to exchange messages , photos or videos.
These messages can be sent through a Internet connection , very practical when you are traveling abroad for example and you do not want to communicate through your telephone operator. This avoids the extra package because only an internet connection allows the exchange of instant messages and calls.
Since its creation, WhatsApp used end-to-end encrypted messages, no organization had access to the conversations contained in their messaging system. Acquired by the Facebook group in 2014, this instant messaging is used by more than 2 billion people in the world.
WhatsApp as of February 08, 2021
What will change from February 08 after accepting the new privacy policy, lies in the information sharing as :
- Your phone number
- Your transaction data
- Information about your interactions
- Or your IP adress.
Here is the press release from WhatsApp regarding this update:
“The information we share with other Facebook entities includes your account registration information (such as your phone number), transaction data, information related to services, information about how you interact with others. ‘others, including businesses, when you use our services, information about your mobile device, your IP address, and may include other information identified in the section of the Privacy Policy titled “Information We Collect”, or obtained after notifying you or on the basis of your consent ”
In the European countries , Services WhatsApp are treated by WhatsApp Ireland Limited .
In the rest of the world this is WhatsApp LLC who takes care of it. As a result, there are differences in privacy policy.
In Europe , this update is only intended to help the WhatsApp business to “Exercise, improve and develop your activity” especially for the professional version of WhatsApp Business .
The data collected cannot therefore not be used to improve targeting of advertisements and Facebook will not be able to use this data for its own purposes.
Unlike countries outside the European Union, which will see their data serve to optimize the suggestion of advertising content.
And Switzerland in all of this?
Swiss WhatsApp users are subject to a special regime: they are protected by the GDPR , like all users residing in countries of the European Union .
“There is no change in WhatsApp’s data sharing practices in the European region (including Switzerland) resulting from the updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. For the avoidance of doubt, WhatsApp does not share the data of its users in the European region with Facebook for the purpose of the latter using this data to improve its products or its advertisements. ” says a spokesperson for the company WhatsApp at Time .
Even though the Swiss is outside the European Union, the GDPR protects therefore, for the moment, Swiss users.
(source BDM )