{"id":10999,"date":"2021-03-06T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2021-03-06T17:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/blog\/?p=10999"},"modified":"2021-03-04T16:21:41","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T00:21:41","slug":"is-whatsapp-safe-whatsapps-new-controversial-privacy-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.socialcatfish.cloud\/scamfish\/is-whatsapp-safe-whatsapps-new-controversial-privacy-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Is WhatsApp Safe?: WhatsApp’s New Controversial Privacy Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of our readers use WhatsApp<\/a> to keep updated with friends and family. However, recently they have been trying to force their users to accept their new privacy policy, going as far as to update it since their users refused to accept it the first time. They hope that by updating it, users will be more willing to accept it. But why would an updated privacy policy be such a big deal? We examine what WhatsApp’s controversial privacy policy means, why people refuse to accept it, and is WhatsApp safe.<\/p>\n

What is WhatsApp’s New Controversial Privacy Policy?<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Colleagues-using-smartphones-392151-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

WhatsApp<\/a> promises its users end-to-end encrypted messages when messaging friends and family, meaning that app officials can’t read what you’re texting or listen to phone calls. This makes conversations private<\/a> between you and whoever you’re talking to. However, with this new privacy policy that would go into effect, the end-to-end encryption would disappear when messaging businesses on this app.<\/p>\n

By allowing businesses to process your messages with them on WhatsApp, they claim that they can use what users say as data to create new advertising opportunities. However, this is causing a rift with WhatsApp users that claim this new policy would strip them of the privacy they were used to while using this app. So the main question is: is WhatsApp safe?<\/p>\n

There is also conflicting language when talking about users’ location since WhatsApp promises its users that it doesn’t know where they are located when users share their location<\/a> with friends. However, the new privacy policy states, “We collect and use precise location information from your device with your permission when you choose to use location-related features, like when you decide to share your location with your contacts or view locations nearby or locations others have shared with you.”<\/p>\n

How is WhatsApp Responding to This Controversy?<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-04-at-4.07.43-PM.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” credit=”Image Credit: WhatsApp” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

When this new privacy policy first came out, users were concerned as to whether or not it would affect the current policies in effect that prevent data sharing with Facebook.<\/a> Users were scared that their most sensitive and private data would get shared with Facebook and possibly leaked. This caused an uproar in users since they are aware of how data leaks on Facebook.<\/a><\/p>\n

Because of the wariness from users, WhatsApp posted a status update (their version of stories) to further explain the privacy policy to its users. They tried to explain that their customer’s chats<\/a> will still be end-to-end encrypted so that their conversations remain private to themselves and their family or friends. However, they said that the only change would be that businesses might store customers’ chat logs to Facebook’s servers. WhatsApp also pushed the release date, which was supposed to be in February, to May.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Screen-Shot-2021-03-04-at-4.09.23-PM.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” credit=”Image Credit: WhatsApp” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

However, there’s still an uproar with users, who claim that their data could still be accessed<\/a> by businesses that they message. They are questioning how much of their data is actually safe once they message a particular business. To further explain this privacy policy update, WhatsApp will include a banner within their app that explains what the update is about. The banner reassures users that their conversations are private and that they are just changing how businesses communicate<\/a> with customers.<\/p>\n

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We are doing more to explain how WhatsApp continues to protect people’s privacy and I wanted to share our plans here first pic.twitter.com\/ja6tqGZ3yi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) February 18, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n