There has been a lot of controversy in recent times about the recent updates that WhatsApp intends to make on its privacy policy, and the imposition of data sharing with Facebook, as well as a lot of information that has caused concerns among users, especially after the requirement of the application to accept the new terms by February 8, 2021 or delete his account. This prompted them to look for other alternatives.
The competing applications for WhatsApp have seen a large number of users, prompting the company to postpone the date when users will be asked to review the terms of service and privacy policy and accept it for three months, and will not suspend or delete anyone's account on February 8th.
WhatsApp's new privacy policy updates do not affect the privacy of personal messages in any way — because they are protected by full encryption between the parties— meaning that WhatsApp or Facebook cannot read or listen to them – but include additional options for people who send business activities via WhatsApp, to enhance transparency in the way the app collects and uses data.
In fact, what happens that WhatsApp has not added anything new to its privacy policy, as it has already shared users' metadata — with their consent — with Facebook since 2016.
WhatsApp began sharing user and metadata with Facebook after it launched a major privacy policy update in August 2016 and asked users — up to one billion users at the time — to agree to share a large amount of data with Facebook, with a 30-day deadline to opt out of at least some data sharing.
The move raised serious privacy concerns at the time, for those who joined WhatsApp before Facebook acquired it. At that time, each WhatsApp user was informed that sharing this data with Facebook for purposes such as improving infrastructure, understanding how to use WhatsApp and Facebook services, securing systems, and combating spam and abuse or abuse or abuse.
But that was optional, as those who chose to refuse to agree to share data before the end of September 2016 were lucky. Anyone who registers after that date must agree to the updated terms allowing data to be shared with Facebook in order to use WhatsApp in the first place.
The application's current policy update does not have a domain to refuse to approve data sharing, but each user must agree to share the information.
You can now verify whether you were a user who agreed to share data with Facebook in 2016, through the Account Information Request feature that allows you to request a report of your WhatsApp account information and settings and extract this report in a file form.
How to request your WhatsApp account information:
- Go to WhatsApp in your phone.
- Press the three-point icon in the top right corner, then press settings.
- Click on the Account option.
- Click on the Request account info option.
- Click on the report request option, and the status on the screen will change to appear (request) request sent.
- The report is usually available about three days after the date you order, when the report is ready, you will receive a notification from WhatsApp on your phone that reads: "Your account information report is available." You will have a month to download it, before you have to repeat the request again.
- After the report arrives, press the Download report option;
- Open the report, then look for a section entitled Terms of Service, which includes the "Terms of Service 2016" list that shows whether you agreed to share data or not.
- If next to the "No" field, WhatsApp has already shared your data with Facebook since 2016. If the word "yes" appears, you do not agree to share the data at the time.
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