WhatsApp Ultimatum: Explaining the New Privacy Policy and Should You Accept It

How did it all start?

Shortly after Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, its

The developers have built state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption into the messaging app.

In 2016, WhatsApp gave users a one-time option to opt out of sharing their account data with Facebook. Now the updated privacy policy changes that. 

Under the new terms, Facebook reserves the right to share the collected data with its companies.

"As part of the Facebook group of companies, WhatsAppreceives and shares information from this group of companies,” the new privacy policy states. “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 promote our Services and their offerings.”

In some cases, such as when someone uses WhatsApp to interact with third parties, Facebook may also share information with those third parties.

The company announced a new privacy policy in January, but postponed the update to May due to user churn.

Who will be affected by the new policy?

WhatsApp's new privacy policy isa set of new conditions that, among other things, allow the messenger to keep records and transfer user data to its parent company: Facebook.

Policy affects accountsWhatsApp Businessinstead of regular WhatsApp accounts. The data that WhatsApp will have access to include phone numbers and transaction data.

The media is spreading information thatthe update will allow the app to transfer more personal data to Facebook, WhatsApp's parent company. Not so: WhatsApp said the updated terms only apply to business messaging accounts, making it easier for businesses to connect to the Facebook platform.

Wired and Ars Technica found out that nothing has actually changed for the vast majority of users.

People who chat on WhatsApp are actually alreadylong ago, perhaps unknowingly, allowed the transfer of their data to Facebook. Old users did it back in 2016 with the next update of the user agreement. Those who opened accounts after this period did it automatically when registering in the messenger.

This is who the change will really affect, sothis is a small group of people who deliberately prohibited WhatsApp from sharing their data with Facebook when the user agreement was updated back in 2016. Those who then agreed to share information could change their minds, but only within 30 days. It should be noted that this option has long been removed from the settings.

If you don't remember whether WhatsApp prevented you from sharing your data with Facebook, request a report from the company about your account settings.

Will correspondence and calls be available to everyone now?

Not.

Your private messages remain encrypted and,therefore, will remain safe after the new WhatsApp policy comes into effect. They, like calls, are protected by special encryption, namely end-to-end encryption. In theory, third parties can gain access to your personal correspondence if you agreed to back up your data to Google Drive or iCloud. There these messages are stored in decrypted form. However, it's worth noting that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook has access to them at all.

So what information does WhatsApp collect?

“The information we share with other Facebook companies includes your account registration information (for example,phone number), datatransactions(for example, if you use Facebook Payor WhatsApp stores), information related to services, information about how you interact with businesses when using our Services, information about mobile devices, yoursIP addressand may include other information,” says the frequently asked questions section on the WhatsApp page.

In essence, this means that actionsusers, some of his personal data and preferences are tracked and transmitted not only by WhatsApp, but also by Facebook, as well as to all companies that have acquired the social network - for example, Instagram. We emphasize that this has already been happening since 2016.

Let's summarize. Here's what WhatsApp is already collecting:

  • metadata of your messages and calls: with whom, when, how often you communicate;
  • your phone number and the phone numbers of your interlocutors;
  • data about the device or browser used;
  • IP addresses and information about your mobile network;
  • your location data;
  • billing information.

Why is the deadline May 15?

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has been trying for a long timeconvince people to accept the new privacy terms through a variety of means, including WhatsApp status updates and a persistent banner that regularly encourages users to accept the new terms. The service also repeatedly explained to users what the new privacy policy actually changes and that it “will have no impact on user privacy.”

WhatsApp initially planned to forceimplement the new policy from February 8 this year. However, after facing serious criticism due to its poorly worded policy and ultimatum, WhatsApp was forced to move the date to May 15th. The service has now said that users have until May 15 to accept the new terms.

What happens if you don't accept the new terms by May 15th?

Users who refuse to accept newprivacy conditions, will still be able to use the application for another 120 days. However, during this time, the functionality of the messaging application will be limited. "For a short time, you'll be able to receive calls and notifications, but not read or send messages from the app," says WhatsApp's official FAQ page.

In other words, at first, users will not be able to make calls and be the first to write messages to other people - only answer them.

Business Insider also reports thatUsers who choose not to accept the new terms of the agreement will lose access to their chat lists for two weeks after May 15th. According to him, the shutdown will not be a one-time thing, the timing will vary. The period will be individual for each user.

WhatsApp will delete "discordant" accounts?

Perhaps, but not right away. But you won't be able to use the messenger either.

If, after a few weeks, you do not accept the new policy, you will not even be able to receive incoming calls or notifications, and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone.

Again, WhatsApp "will not delete your account"record" even at this stage, but can still do so eventually. According to WhatsApp, at this stage “our existing policies regardinginactive users" WhatsApp says it usually deletesinactive accountsafter 120 days of inactivity.And even if that doesn't happen, the app still won't serve any real purpose at the moment - which is why WhatsApp explains how to export your chats and download a report about your account on the same FAQ page.

Deleting accounts will lose all of theirchats and whatsapp groups. If after that you want to use the messenger with the same phone number, you will have to create a new account and start from scratch. However, this, again, will require you to first accept the new privacy terms.

That said, a WhatsApp spokesperson told BusinessInsider that the company will not delete user accounts that do not agree with the new privacy policy. “We will continue to remind these users [of the new policy] of WhatsApp in the coming weeks,” he said.

Should you accept the new WhatsApp privacy policy?

For most people concernedconfidentiality at the level of communication, acceptance or non-acceptance of the new conditions does not matter. WhatsApp or the parent company Facebook will still be unable to view messages or other personal data of users.

However, these users will continue to sharedata that is already shared with Facebook, often unknowingly. They are often used by Facebook to offer more relevant advertising. More information about this is provided in the “Our International Activities” section of the privacy policy. 

It should be noted that after the policy is accepted, it is impossible to undo the action.

Reaction of users and WhatsApp

WhatsApp began displaying a banner in the app "providing more information that people can explore at their own pace." In fact, in all of his posts, he emphasizes three points:

  1. The update does not in any way affect the privacy of your messages to friends and family.
  2. He does not expand his exchange optionsdata with parent company Facebook anywhere in the world (since 2016, WhatsApp has been sharing some user data, such as phone numbers, with Facebook).
  3. The changes only apply to business accounts.

 Even if you only use WhatsAppto communicate with friends and family and plan to continue doing so, you will still have to accept the new conditions. One way or another, the nature of the update caused confusion among many. Since Facebook has been embroiled in a string of data breaches in the past, many WhatsApp users are wary of this mandatory data sharing, despite its loud privacy claims.

Since WhatsApp has received serious backlashreaction after revealing its new privacy policy, the Facebook-owned service has gone to great lengths to clarify what the new privacy policy actually changes. To this end, WhatsApp has made a number of public clarifications.

However, they did not calm most users.

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