WhatsApp is still planning to go ahead with its controversial privacy policy changes, despite recently postponing the update following a huge backlash over perceived Facebook data sharing.
The maker of the popular chat app is changing the way it will communicate the forthcoming changes to users, after millions of users downloaded apps from rival platforms like Telegram and Signal seeking an alternative.
Many users swore-off the platform when they received an in-app notification warning them to accept the new terms or lose access to all of their chats. Chief among the features was the notion users would be forced to share more of their data with Facebook.
However, so poor was WhatsApps messaging on the matter that users were convinced massive changes were on the way, when it was largely a continuation of existing policy that enables businesses to communicate with users.
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At the time, WhatsApp blamed misinformation for the backlash, but now says it has “reflected” on the language used and admitted things could have been handled a little better.
“Today we’re sharing updated plans for how we’ll ask WhatsApp users to review our terms of service and privacy policy,” the company states in a blog post.
It continues: “We’ve reflected on what we could have done better here. We want everyone to know our history of defending end-to-end encryption and trust we’re committed to protecting people’s privacy and security.”
From now on, WhatsApp will show a banner that’ll encourage people to read through the policy themselves and accept before it comes into play on May 15. However, the fact remains, users will still need to accept this policy if they wish to continue using the app moving forward.
In an FAQ about the issues, WhatsApp says: “Your acceptance of the new Terms of Service does not expand WhatsApp’s ability to share user data with its parent company Facebook.”
However, it may reveal to some just how much data was being shared with Facebook in the first place.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
