WhatsApp has attempted to reassure people concerned over a change in its privacy policy, which will see users forced to share their personal data with Facebook, or be barred from the service.
The company said it is seeking to clear-up rumours Facebook would have access to users’ chats once the new terms come into effect next month. WhatsApp says that’s not the case and messages exchanged between users will continue to be end-to-end encrypted.
In an infographic posted to Twitter on, the company said: “WhatsApp cannot see your private messages or hear your calls and neither can Facebook.”
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It goes on to say neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see your location, while WhatsApp will not share the user’s contacts with Facebook. It says WhatsApp groups will remain private, messages can still be set to disappear and that WhatsApp will not keep logs of who people are messaging or calling.
We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption. pic.twitter.com/6qDnzQ98MP
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 12, 2021
“Our privacy policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family. Learn more about how we protect your privacy as well as what we do NOT share with Facebook here,” the company writes, with a link to the new terms.
WhatsApp is currently informing users they must adhere to the new privacy policy or no longer be able to access their chats.
A pop-up notification within the app reads: “By tapping agree, you accept the new terms and privacy policy which take effect on February 8, 2021. After this date you’ll need to accept these updates to continue using WhatsApp.”
What exactly are users agreeing to? Well, WhatsApp’s new terms of service states that the app is part of the Facebook family of companies and families share. Basically, it’s a big data sharing dinner party!
“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, customise, support, and market our Services and their offerings,” the new policy states.
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Editorial independence
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.
