Cross-platform messaging platform WhatsApp has stated that it would share “updated plans” for how it requests for users to review its terms of service and privacy policy.
It had raised some dust after it rolled out a privacy policy that did not sit well with users.
If agreed to, users’ data from WhatsApp would be shared with the company’s parent firm Facebook.
Although, the tech company denied any intrusion into your privacy, as it “does not affect the privacy of your messages with your friends and family in any way,” it said.
The company, in a statement released on Thursday, restated its commitment to “protecting people’s privacy and security”.
It stated that it desired to enlighten users on its values and updates through posts on its status.
A banner, according to WhatsApp management, will be displayed on the app so that people can get access to more information easily and at their own pace.
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“In the coming weeks, we’ll display a banner in WhatsApp providing more information that people can read at their own pace.
“We’ve also included more information to try and address concerns we’re hearing. Eventually, we’ll start reminding people to review and accept these updates to keep using WhatsApp,” it said in part.
In explaining how WhatsApp remains free for users, the company stated that businesses on the platform are charged for providing services on WhatsApp “not people”.
It added, “Some shopping features involve Facebook so that businesses can manage their inventory across apps. We display more information directly in WhatsApp so people can choose if they want to engage with businesses, or not.”
WhatsApp Vs Rivals
Addressing users moving to rival apps for security and privacy, the company said, in what seemed like an allusion to competitor Telegram, that “some of our competitors try to get away with claiming they can’t see people’s messages – if an app doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption by default that means they can read your messages.”
Chats on Telegram are not, by default, end-to-end encrypted, although, you can set that feature via the ‘secret chat’ feature.
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The statement added, “Other apps say they’re better because they know even less information than WhatsApp. We believe people are looking for apps to be both reliable and safe, even if that requires WhatsApp having some limited data.
“We strive to be thoughtful on the decisions we make and we’ll continue to develop new ways of meeting these responsibilities with less information, not more.”
