Recently, WhatsApp, the world’s most used Chat messaging application started pushing notifications to ‘Accept’, it’s new Privacy Policy, a major update after years of it’s acquisition by Facebook for 19 Billion US Dollars.
Most of us would already have accepted and continued without even having a look at the new WhatsApp Privacy Policy. Those of us who have not accepted yet will be forced to do so in near future.
Long story short, the new policy states that on clicking the agree button, you as WhatsApp user agree to share all the data that WhatsApp creates and stores about you(Yes, even with encryption and deletion of messages from their servers after delivery, they still collect some data and meta data about you) with it’s parent company Facebook and it’s other services like Messenger, Instagram, etc.
If you respect your privacy and don’t want intrusion by Facebook to collect your data then you have two options,
- Stop using WhatsApp and switch to other popular chat apps like Telegram, WeChat, etc and wait for the time these services start enforcing similar policies.
- For the time being, WhatsApp is allowing the users to partially opt-out of the new policy by disallowing Facebook to use your data to curate and serve you ads based on your WhatsApp data.
The second approach is more practical than the first atleast until WhatsApp maintains it’s position as the most widely used Chat application. Just follow the given steps, to partially opt-out of WhatsApp-Facebook data sharing policy and swallow a less bitter pill and move on.
When prompted by a screen as shown in the image, don’t run to the ‘Agree’ button. Click on the section below the Agree button that says “Read more about the key updates to our Terms and Privacy Policy”.
The screen that appears now will show you a document containing all the details about the new WhatsApp Privacy Policy and their updated Terms of Service.
You can read the Terms and Policies but if you just want to get away with partially option out of the WhatsApp-Facebook Data Sharing Policy, move to the bottom of the page.
You will see a Checkbox near the ‘Agree’ button with a text saying that you acknowledge usage of your data to curate ads based on your interests and allow Facebook and it’s daughter companies to use that data.
Don’t Click the Checkbox!
Hit the ‘Agree’ button.
Now you are good to go.
That’s all you can do to save whatever little privacy you have left in this digital age. It is obvious that WhatsApp will also start serving ads in the coming future to let Facebook recoup the 19 billion US dollars it invested and make huge profits as it is doing with Facebook and Instagram. It’s just a matter of time (as per my personal opinion)!
Please share your feedback in the comments section below! Don’t forget to signup for the email newsletter, if you do not want to miss our posts.
Leave a Reply