WhatsApp has recently announced that it will be updating the privacy policy for the Indian market due to which it landed into controversy. The previously changed privacy policy asked the user to accept the changes or stop using the App. It caused a serious backlash for WhatsApp and the matter was also checked by the government agencies. Although the privacy policy acceptance from WhatsApp was delayed from February 8 to May 15, it does not seem to provide any relief to the company.
The company does claim that the policy acceptance will not affect the privacy of individual chats, it is indeed opening avenues for businesses to get user details to offer personalized experiences. The company has already updated that the update is mainly meant for businesses using its messaging platform. Accepting the policy changes will only share their phone numbers and transaction data but it would not impact how people communicate with friends or family. The company has also confirmed that end-to-end encryption for the messages will remain and no one except the users will be able to access the messages.
The company made an official statement about the same in which they said, “The information we share with the other Facebook Companies includes your account registration information (such as your phone number), transaction data (for example, if you use Facebook Pay or Shops in WhatsApp), service-related information, information on how you interact with businesses when using our Services, mobile device information, your IP address, and may include other information identified in the Privacy Policy section entitled ‘Information We Collect’ or obtained upon notice to you or based on your consent“”. Also, their FAQ page mentions some details about what would happen if you do not agree to the policy changes, “For a short time, you’ll be able to receive calls and notifications, but won’t be able to read or send messages from the app“.