WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Facebook claims to offer data-encryption of the highest order. Yet they still admit to be sharing vital user information with Facebook in the form of your phone number.
Yes, phone number. That thing which is used for shopping, banking and various other personal activities.
These developments about WhatsApp’s apparent not-so-secure reality will definitely shock most of us, and rightly so.
Here’s what the updated policy from WhatsApp informs, and it is quite clear that the messaging app is about to move away from its long-time promise.
The app will share details such as your phone number, device used, last seen at, and geographical information with Facebook companies that include Instagram, Oculus Rift, Facebook and its advertising network.WhatsApp Blog
The instant messaging app which was bought for $19.3 billion by Facebook in 2014, has been extremely vocal about protecting user’s data since inception. This latest revision of privacy policy is in contrast to their original stance.
What really worries us is that instead of trying to pacify users about its revised policy, the change of tone on WhatsApp’s part implies that people can either accept their terms, or just stop using their app. Thankfully, you can also opt out of sharing data.
Opt out of WhatsApp Sharing Data
- Go to Settings on WhatsApp
- Head over to the Account page
- Uncheck the box where it says Share my Account info.
But is quitting WhatsApp even an option for users these days?
Facebook’s New Monetising Tool
When a product caters to over 800 million users actively across the globe, there can be no surprises that it is bound to be used as a tool to monetise.
And now that Facebook will have access to phone numbers of all the 800 active million users on WhatsApp, there’s a definite fear of spamming that sounds like trouble. This is happening despite their claim to be working to fight spams.
By coordinating more with Facebook, we’ll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp. And by connecting your phone number with Facebook’s systems, Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them.WhatsApp Blog
Last but not the least, Facebook is already intruding into our search history which enables the platform to give us ads that are in sync with what our browsing has been. Clearly, that’s more than enough invasion of privacy by Facebook already.
Very soon, WhatsApp will be like never before, and that’s a pity.
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