Facebook Know-It-All, that might not sound weird to you because whenever we talk about anything with our Friends/Family or if search on Internet about specific product after couple of hours or days we see Facebook/Instagram adds of same objects on our devices.
Is it a coincidence?
No, we are being watched and listened by the So Called Trusted apps.
Facebook always mentions we use “cookies” in order to enhance the user experience on our application. In reality they are making money out of it using our personal lives and personal data through ads.
Now if all these activities are already happening in the world then why WhatsApp Privacy Policy is a trending topic?
Lets take a look on this application first.
WhatsApp History.
WhatsApp: Founded by two Ex-Employees of Yahoo Brian Acton and Jan Koum in 2009.
Back in the days when SMS was the only easy and expensive way to text one another Brian Acton nd Jan Koum came up with the idea that let users text anyone from any part of the world.
As people needs start increasing WhatsApp introduce free voice and video call option inapplication that lead WhatsApp to achieve high rank in messaging application platform.
No ads! No Games! No Gimmick– A simple Principle which helped a small messaging application to win over giant corporations like Facebook, iMessage, Snapchat and many others.
As WhatsApp was booming, Facebook was in danger as usual they never let their competition defeats them.
How?
By Acquiring the competition.
Similarly as Instagram Facebook acquired WhatsApp for a whopping $19 billion in February 2014.
As Whatsapp was free and add free application WhatsApp made the statement they will keep the WhatsApp adds free for all users even whatsapp is sold to Facebook.
After that Facebook made numerous new changes to WhatsApp that risen the WhatsApp popularity to the next level which results in 2 billion users in world. Still at this point WhatsApp was free and with No Adds.
After couple of years Facebook integrates the feature “WhatsApp for Businesses” in WhatsApp which provides the reliability for business to interact with their users using WhatsApp. As business interact with their customer via email WhatsApp was easy way to reach customer more closer.
WhatsApp Does have the large database because of heavy amount of users so business also welcomed this idea and made “WhatsApp For Business” as their part of Business. Business starts managing their clients, Sharing important information among the business which makes their life more convenient.
New WhatsApp Privacy Policy Pop-up
But,
A popup of “Calm before the storm” recently appears on the WhatsApp user screen.
The pop-up notification read, “By tapping AGREE, you accept the new terms and privacy policy, which takes effect on February 8, 2021. After this date, you’ll need to accept these updates to continue using WhatsApp. You can also visit the Help Center if you would prefer to delete your account and would like more information.”
This popup was not only the changes in Privacy Policy it was warning by WhatsApp/Facebook Accept new policy or stop using WhatsApp.
If a user won’t Agree the new Privacy Policy, after Feb 8th WhatsApp services will STOP their services for them and they will be no longer able to use WhatsApp.
Privacy Policy changes do happen quite often but what exactly those changes are that gives so much hype to this changes?
There are a lot of rumors around this topic and alsonumerous memes have been created . Check this out 😀
I mean really? 😀
Jokes apart. Lets Dive into real facts.
What are the Changes in WhatsApp Privacy Policy?
- End-To-End Encryption: WhatsApp provides End-To-End Encryption and will continue this service to their user.
What is End-To-End Encryption?
In Simple terms, it means only sender and receiver can see the message on their end. Other than that for everybody else on the network message will be encrypted even if anyone wants to see the content they will not be able to see the content.
Even WhatsApp companies employees will not be able to see what does chat contains itself. It will be only visible to the sender and receive.
A Noticeable Fact
Even after this Privacy Policy changes WhatsApp is safest among other messaging apps because Facebook and Instagram Do not have End-To-End Encryption. Which means Facebook and Instagram can access our personal chats and its not pretty acceptable.
2. Device Information:
New privacy changes will gather the data about the make and model of your phone you are using in order to get access for WhatsApp. WhatsApp can utilize this data in their next future projects or analysis to identify which country has more dependency on which OS (Operating system) and more than that according to their needs. WhatsApp will collect information about the battery life, Signal strength. On which time zone you are in and Your IP address.
3. WhatsApp Account Information:
From now on WhatsApp will acquire the profile picture you have on your WhatsApp account. Status uploaded by user. List of contact details (Picture, name, Phone number).
4. Adds:
In a new update in Privacy Policy they clearly stated that now they are not publishing the ads on it but in future if they do they will let their user know. Which means in future WhatsApp is planning to show ads on application. Regardless they are self-contradicted with their earlier statements about ads.
5. Access on data by third Party Providers:
WhatsApp stated that WhatsApp will not only shares your data to Facebook but it will shares your data with third party service providers attached to Facebook. Along with Facebook Third Party Companies also can access our personal data.
6. Elimination of End-To-End Encryption for Business:
As we earlier mentioned End-To-End Encryption is available for normal accounts but for WhatsApp Business account End-To-End Encryption services will be forbidden. From now on WhatsApp will collect the information from WhatsApp business chat and optimize their system with Artificial Intelligence.
WhatsApp also stated that the data will be shared with Third Party Service providers attached with Facebook.
Which turns out WhatsApp and third party service providers will now have the access to see messages (if they want to) and content in the business account chat.
Which can turns out to negative results, if the third party service providers or Facebook itself got attacked by hackers with a simple data breach they can have all the important information from business chats/Personal accounts can be leaked and it can cause great loss to multiple Business and for users.
With all these changes it feels like WhatsApp opens the “Pandora Box”.
So what are the solutions? Should we stop using WhatsApp?
Well, Yes and No.
What are Solutions for Changes in WhatsApp Privacy Policy?
There are a couple alternatives in the market such as Telegram, Signal.
We can at least start using the alternatives in order to familiarize ourselves so we can easily migrate to a new platform if in future Facebook makes any new un-acceptable changes to Privacy Policy.
For the ones who still want to stick with WhatsApp here are some of the steps we can follow in order to keep our data protected.
- Remove your Profile picture from WhatsApp.
- Remove any status from WhatsApp profile.
- Do not put your real name in the name section.
But, those are the tips to get safe from personal data What About access to our IP address?
Sharing IP address to application is high risk factors. Its not even about WhatsApp even when you are reading this blog there is a chance that at least one application is access your IP address.
They are keeping eye on us.
How to Protect from IP Address theft?
Using repudiated and trusted VPN service providers can help to Encrypt our original location and shows different location to Internet. Thats what VPN does it shows different IP address to internet and keep our IP address secure.
I personally use Nord VPN because this one of most trusted brand in VPN market and it has been nearly 11 years at stays on the top rank in order to Protect our privacy.
I highly recommend to WhatsApp users to use any trusted VPN service in order to keep their data secure and healthy not even from WhatsApp but from other Application as well.
Updated News:
As many people raise their voice against the new Privacy policy update by WhatsApp. WhatsApp made changes in implementation dates of Privacy Policy , instead of Feb 8, new policy will implement on or after May 2021.
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