WhatsApp delays privacy policy update as fleeing users express concerns about data sharing on Facebook without any deactivation – RT USA News

The chat app announced on Friday that it would delay the update until mid-May, blaming “confusion” and “disinformation” for growing customer privacy concerns while insisting that it would not pass additional user data, such as private messages, to Facebook under its new policies.

“We will always protect your personal conversations with end-to-end encryption, so that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see these private messages,” the company said. “That’s why we don’t keep logs of everyone’s messages or calls. We also cannot see your shared location and we do not share your contacts with Facebook. “

This update does not extend our ability to share data with Facebook.

Earlier this month, the chat platform informed users of the impending policy update, noting that it would include new options for messaging companies on WhatsApp, but also indicating that customers would have until February 8 to accept the changes or be excluded from their accounts. The notification quickly raised concerns that the update would bring about significant changes in the way WhatsApp shares data, namely with its parent company Facebook.

While the company has categorically denied rumors of more intrusive data sharing, the concerns have nonetheless fueled a major exodus from the platform, pushing masses of users into competing chat apps. Signal said on Friday it suffered a global outage due to “Millions and millions” of new users flock to the platform, claiming that they “Send a message stating that privacy is important.” Telegram, meanwhile, recorded some 5.6 million downloads in less than a week earlier this month, through Apptopia, and claims to have gained over 25 million new users in the past 72 hours. All of this comes as WhatsApp saw downloads drop from 12.7 million to 10.6 million from last week, according to Sensor Tower, the mobile app analytics tracker.

WhatsApp theft was aided last week after billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, now the world’s richest man, pleaded with his Twitter followers to “Use the signal” following the announced update of WhatsApp.

While WhatsApp boasts of its commitment to secure end-to-end communications and encryption, the platform has been criticized in the past for its data-sharing practices. It announced in 2016 that it would start sharing certain user data with Facebook, such as connecting customer phone numbers to the social media giant and sending data for targeted advertising. The Electronic Privacy Information Center – a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC – filed a complaint with the United States Federal Trade Commission at the time, arguing that the policy change was a “Unfair and deceptive commercial practice”, but the movement had little effect.

READ MORE: Private WhatsApp chat groups are EXPOSED again on Google search

As part of the 2016 policy, however, users were given the unique option to opt out of sending data to Facebook. This option will no longer be available as part of the update, which will now take effect on May 15, requiring customers to submit their information as a condition of using the platform.

As of today, WhatsApp now shares more data with its parent company, including “Transaction data, service information, information about how you interact with others (including businesses) … mobile device information, your IP address,” while the company says it can also share “other information” specified elsewhere in its privacy policy.

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