On Tuesday, WhatsApp provided clarification on its recent update to the privacy policy and clarified that the latest approach has in no way impacted the privacy of messages sent to friends and family. The instant messaging platform said it wanted to “address misinformation” and that it would “continue with end-to-end encryption to protect your private messages.”
It said that your private messages could not be seen or your calls heard. It also emphasized that Facebook, its parent company, could not read its users’ messages or calls either. The latest move comes in the wake of public criticism of WhatsApp over its modification of the privacy policy last week and will be effective from February 8. On the smart phone contact.
Addressing user concerns over the privacy policy update, WhatsApp released a new FAQ page on its site that highlights private communication on the app.
“Neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can read your messages or hear your calls with your friends, family, and co-workers on WhatsApp. Whatever you share, it stays between you,” the platform said. In a thread, it added, “Our privacy policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family.”
WhatsApp also said it did not hold customer communications logs. “While this information is traditionally preserved by mobile carriers and operators, we believe it would be both a privacy and security risk to maintain these records for two billion users and we don’t do it,” it noted.
WhatsApp pointed out in its newly developed FAQ page on the location sharing section that it could not see the user’s shared location and neither could Facebook. The platform emphasized that it is end-to-end encrypted when anyone posts a position on their app, meaning it can’t be accessed by anybody but the people with whom it is shared.
It is important to remember, however, that WhatsApp gathers and uses user devices’ precise location information. Even if you do not use our location-related features, we use IP addresses and other information such as area codes for phone numbers to estimate your general location (e.g., city and country). We also use your location information for diagnostics and troubleshooting purposes,” the updated privacy policy mentions.
In terms of data sharing that has brought the privacy controversy, the Facebook-owned platform said the update included changes related to messaging businesses on WhatsApp.
“To manage their communication, some large companies need to use hosting services. Which is why we give companies the option to use Facebook’s secure hosting services to manage their customers’ WhatsApp chats, answer questions, and send helpful information such as purchase receipts, the platform said.
It also listed the arrival of new trading features that could allow corporations to market their WhatsApp products and services, which could entail personalization. For that reason, users’ shopping activities may be used to personalize the experience. However, WhatsApp claimed that certain features were optional.
Inadvertently, the changes in the privacy policy have enabled competitive platforms like Telegram and Signal to achieve some success. WhatsApp has, however, also emphasized that the updates were meant to address business accounts.