Facebook-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp – that has around 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide – on Wednesday began rolling out a notification informing users about some new policy changes.
The notification mentions key updates, such as how the company processes user data, how businesses can use Facebook-hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats and how the company partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the company products among other developments. The in-app notification has begun to pop-up on screens for Indian users as well.
Here is how WhatsApp's latest in-app notification on policy updates looks like on screen.
— Radhika Parashar (@_RadhikaReports) January 6, 2021
I report for @SputnikInt pic.twitter.com/4x3KWFQ1Hs
The update is mandatory and requires users to either accept the new terms and privacy policy to continue using the app or delete their accounts.
Netizens have taken to Twitter to discuss Mark Zuckerberg's "pseudo-security" services - after Facebook, which owns WhatsApp and Instagram, has found itself in trouble multiple times over the years for leaking user data and collecting it unethically. Memes about WhatsApp’s new policy updates, that will go live on 8 January 2021, have flooded Twitter in India.
User's privacy and data in #WhatsApp
— Rehaan 🔰 (@sarcastiqlonda) January 6, 2021
be like : pic.twitter.com/jU3SIqzx3P
Woke up to Whatsapp's (Facebook's?) take it or leave it styled #PrivacyPolicy update. Desperate times call for moves to keep Facebook alive and relevant.
— Abhiram 💡 (@theCRebel) January 6, 2021
It's only a matter of time from when we will move from here to something more like #Facebook is at right now... #WhatsApp pic.twitter.com/l2GvbFaQz8
"If you are using it for free, then you are the Product"#MarkZuckerberg 👏👏#Whatsapp pic.twitter.com/KXZuOIsNdT
— Vardan (@Vardan_here) January 6, 2021
This morning #WhatsApp updates privacy policy, asks users to accept terms of service to continue using app.
— Aarti (@abechalnayrr) January 6, 2021
Le ppl talking freely bc of end to end encryption!
Meanwhile Mark Zuckerberg*: pic.twitter.com/K0aMlvPxSb
#WhatsApp updating its Privacy Settings !!
— Shubham lashkan (@ShubhamLashkan) January 6, 2021
Le me:- pic.twitter.com/WG1F3bMMmB
illusion of privacy on #Whatsapp #Facebook pic.twitter.com/MEBkgRg9sD
— Ravi Ojha (@RaviOjha06) January 6, 2021
Another peculiarity that caught the sharp gaze of netizens was that the privacy policy webpage of WhatsApp shows it was “last modified” on 8 January 2021 – that is two days after today.
WhatsApp has invented time travel.
— Angela Robson, BAMF (@goaliegirl) January 5, 2021
The new #whatsapp privacy policy was modified in the future. pic.twitter.com/vRCNlQuTkT
As far as the specifics are concerned, one of the many changes that the company has made details the information that it collects.
“When a user forwards media within a message, we store that media temporarily in encrypted form on our servers to aid in more efficient delivery of additional forwards,” WhatsApp wrote.
In addition to this, the messaging app has also detailed how it processes ‘Device and Connection Information’, ‘Location Information’ and ‘Transactions And Payments Data’.
In November 2020, WhatsApp began rolling out its in-app instant payment service in India. The feature facilitates monetary transactions from within the app has reached around 20 million random Indian users in the first phase of its roll out.
