WhatsApp New Policy Impact

WhatsApp New Privacy Policy Impact

About WhatsApp

WhatsApp sounds like "what's up" is a way to ask someone “what’s going on”. This was a revolutionary application founded by Brian Acton and Jan Koum back in 2009 with the aim to provide free communication (text/voice) via the mobile app over the internet without Ads and maintaining the high degree of data privacy of the users through data encryption. Later, Facebook acquired WhatsApp in Feb 2014.

The New Privacy Policy

The new policy essentially takes away the choice users had until now to not share their data with other Facebook-owned and third-party apps. WhatsApp users need to provide their consent, failing which they will not be able to use this social messaging app after that. After accepting the terms by a user, Facebook will now use such data for commercial activities to grow their business.

Data Security Issues

Below are some of the data security issues as per the new privacy policy-

1.The contact details of a user and their contacts will now be used by Facebook that may lead in more spamming, online frauds.

2.WhatsApp has now introduced payments feature that may lead to our financial details disclosure viz. bank account details etc.

3.WhatsApp’s recent privacy policy to share commercial user data with Facebook establishes that it is the owner of the data rather than an intermediary.

4.The policy essentially takes away the choice users had until now to not share their data with other Facebook-owned and third-party apps.

5.The core principle of data localisation, which aims to put curbs on the transfer of personal data outside the country, may come in conflict with WhatsApp’s new privacy policy.

6.With the updated privacy policy, WhatsApp can now share one’s metadata, essentially everything beyond the conversation’s actual text.

Switching to Signal or Telegram

People using WhatsApp are getting information regarding alternatives i.e. Signal & Telegram popularly over the social media. We should not forget that if we are using something for FREE then we are the product of these applications/ companies.

The question is very much clear that what is the guarantee of Signal or Telegram that they’ll not be going to enforce such Privacy Policy changes in future if similar things happens with them as well. 

This is why because post-acquisition by Facebook, policies are decided by Facebook and there could be a similar scenario with Signal or Telegram i.e. Let’s say a sample scenario where people now decided to switch on Signal or Telegram and gets a large user base in next 2-5 years. Some XYZ company acquires them and now the entire setup and rules are owned by XYZ company and not Signal or Telegram.

The question comes should we quit using these apps? Or what are the alternatives?

These kinds of apps have become an essential part of our life nowadays, so it would be difficult for us to quit them and yet another reason why the country needs data protection law to protect citizen data.  There is one of the best examples of European Region where WhatsApp is legally bound to not share data with Facebook because it’s a contravention of the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

If other countries also do a similar implementation, then there will be a strong grip towards such companies in near future without having an option to quit such platforms. 

As per the latest update, The Government of India has asked WhatsApp to withdraw the proposed changes in its privacy policy, stating that the proposed changes raised “grave concerns” over the implications of the choice and the autonomy of Indian citizens.

In addition, our country has the power to build our own social media apps and that will help us to not to get dependent on foreign apps where such data privacy issues are raising day by day. Government / IT companies can take a step towards this initiative by conducting Hackathons.

Disclaimer: Thoughts written in this article are based on my individual experience and some internet research.