News & Events, Tech

WhatsApp now requires you to share personal data with Facebook

words by: Sahar Khraibani
Jan 21, 2021

WhatsApp, the immensely used instant messaging app, was bought by Facebook in 2018. Along with Instagram, Facebook owns the four most downloaded apps of the decade.

 

In its latest privacy policy update, the app included a notification requiring all its users to agree to sharing personal data and information with its parent company, Facebook. The statement regarding the policy update includes the following information: “A business may give such third-party service provider access to its communications to send, store, read, manage, or otherwise process them for the business. To understand how a business processes your information, including how it might share your information with third parties or Facebook, you should review that business’ privacy policy or contact the business directly.”

 

Here’s the problem though: not only does WhatsApp—which was once an encrypted and secure app—now require you to share your personal data with Facebook, you have no option of opting out of it. This is the first time that an instant messaging app made explicit requests of its users to agree with sharing their information without the ability to opt out of it. The update includes details on what data is actually going to be collected. Aside from the regular contact information and number, the update and ask include: “transaction data, service-related information, information on how you interact with others (including businesses) when using our Services, mobile device information, your IP address.”

 

You can find more details regarding the policy on WhatsApp’s website, but we can say for sure that many of its users are not pleased with this move.