A new update in the WhatsApp privacy policy annoys users

A new update in the WhatsApp privacy policy annoys users

The instant messaging application WhatsApp recently conducted a trial update regarding the privacy policy of the application, which will force users to share some of their data with its parent company, "Facebook", which has sparked controversy and anger among millions of application users around the world, prompting many to leave the application and search for alternatives  Other, which may mean that WhatsApp abandoned several million of its users in order to implement this new policy.

 Implementing the new policy:

 The WhatsApp application began to inform users of the new change that occurred to the application, as it required them to accept this new policy, which will come into effect on February 8th, and after that date, users will have to accept the new update in order to be able to use WhatsApp,  Otherwise, he will not be able to use it.

 Information to be shared between Whatsapp and Facebook

 The information that will be requested from the user includes “phone number, mobile information, the user’s IP address and other information.” According to the “Gadgets Now” technical site, messages will remain in “WhatsApp”, which means that messages and conversations will remain safe, as for  Concerning the data that will be collected from WhatsApp, we find that it collects information related to the data of devices and their components, as “WhatsApp” will collect information such as the battery, the strength of the Internet connection signal, the application version, browsers, the phone network and contact information, including phone number, network operator and Internet service provider  In addition, data such as language, timing, address of the Internet server, and any previous links to the device or user account with any of the "Facebook" services will be collected.

 On the level of what will be shared with "Facebook", the new privacy policy confirms that it is the phone number, server address, mobile phone data, service information, account registration and how to interact with others, and according to the report, there is information that the new policy said will be collected after the personal approval of its owner in a message.  You reach it, without talking about what that information is.

 WhatsApp message text for users

 The new privacy message that appeared to users stated: “WhatsApp is updating its terms and privacy policies, and the main updates include more information about the WhatsApp service, how businesses can use the added services on Facebook to store and manage their WhatsApp conversations, and how  Partnership with Facebook to offer integrations across Facebook products.

 The company added: “By pressing I agree, you agree to the terms and the new privacy policy, which takes effect on February 8, 2021, and after this date, you will need to accept these updates to continue using WhatsApp. You can also visit the Help Center if you prefer to delete your account and want more information.  ".

 WhatsApp excludes UK and European users from the new policy

 WhatsApp has confirmed that UK and European users will not share their data with Facebook. A WhatsApp spokesperson said: “There are no changes to WhatsApp data sharing practices in the European region, arising from the updated terms of service and privacy policy.”

 WhatsApp responded to the criticism

 WhatsApp issued a statement clarifying that users should not worry too much because the changes will mainly affect communication with WhatsApp Business. “As we announced in October, WhatsApp wants to make it easier for people to make a purchase and get help from a company directly.  On WhatsApp, and while most people use WhatsApp to chat with friends and family, people are increasingly communicating with companies as well. To increase transparency, we have updated the privacy policy to describe that companies moving forward can choose to receive secure hosting services from our parent company Facebook to help manage  Her contacts with her clients on WhatsApp. "

 WhatsApp explained that for most users, nothing will change, as the company also said: "The update does not change the data sharing practices of WhatsApp with Facebook and does not affect how people communicate in particular with friends or family wherever they are in the world."

 The instant messaging service reiterated its position on privacy and said that it will inform users of the changes in detail, and WhatsApp remains firmly committed to protecting people's privacy, as the company said: “We communicate directly with users through WhatsApp about these changes so that they have time to review the new policy throughout  next month ".

 Users around the world outraged

 The privacy policy expected to be implemented has prompted many WhatsApp users around the world to announce their intention to remove it from their phones, while others have recommended other applications, most notably the "Signal" application, as some privacy activists questioned the movement to "accept data seizure on Twitter, and suggested to users."  Switch to apps like Signal and Telegram.

 The new changes were met with widespread criticism on social media, as commentators accused the application of violating their privacy, and some application users complained about the activation of the new terms of use without seeing their details, while tweeters published a list of applications they said "has a strong encryption feature and takes into account privacy."

 Signal's popularity skyrocketed last Thursday after Elon Musk, who owns one of the most followed accounts on Twitter, demanded that it be used amid criticism of Facebook, with more than 100,000 users installing Signal via Apple and Google app stores in the past two days, while Telegram snapped up nearly  From 2.2 million downloads, according to data analytics company Sensor Tower.

 The Sensor Tower said that new WhatsApp installations decreased by 11% in the first seven days of 2021 compared to the previous week, but that is still estimated at 10.5 million downloads worldwide.

 The most prominent alternatives to WhatsApp

 There are many alternative applications that users can resort to instead of WhatsApp, which is mainly:

 Signal

 It is an encrypted messaging application that supports many features such as displaying multimedia "photos and videos" for one time, and the need to enter a password to enter the application. The application also supports one-party encryption in correspondence, and does not record "metadata" for messages or users.

 - viber

 Another application that supports total encryption features for messages. It also allows users to delete sent conversations to hide them from “chatting”. It also enables the “hidden chat” feature, which can only be accessed using a personal code, which provides protection for mutual conversations.

 - Hike Messenger

 It can be considered an alternative to WhatsApp, as it provides protection for users' privacy, as it allows to hide chats with a password, and it does not allow anything to be sent unless the user who is sent to him is registered in the contact list, and it also provides an offline mode, so if a user sends a message it appears as if  She did not arrive until the user gave her access to the chat.

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