WhatsApp has started using status messages to remind users of “commitment to your privacy.” of the messaging service, following the recent confusion over changes to its privacy policy last month.
/article-new/2021/02/whatsapp-status-updates-privacy-e1612180151751.jpg?resize=560%2C307&ssl=1)
“WhatsApp is now able,” the message begins. “We will inform you about new features and updates here. One thing that is not new is our commitment to your privacy. WhatsApp cannot read or listen to your personal conversations because they are encrypted from one end to the other. Stay tuned for more updates! “
Stories-style in-app messages began appearing over the weekend for users in the US and the UK, while users in India reportedly received it for a long time. In a statement given to him The Verge, WhatsApp explained the reasoning behind the movement:
“There has been a lot of misinformation and confusion surrounding our recent update and we want to help everyone understand the facts behind how WhatsApp protects people’s privacy and security,” a WhatsApp spokesman told The Verge. “In the future, we will provide updates to people on the Status tab so that people can hear directly from WhatsApp. Our first update reaffirms that WhatsApp cannot see your personal messages or Facebook, as they are protected from end to end encryption. “
WhatsApp first announced its new terms of use earlier last month, and changes at the time suggested that WhatsApp will share additional data with Facebook, such as phone number, service information, IP address and transaction data. Since then, WhatsApp has clarified that the update does not affect the sharing of data with Facebook in terms of user chats or profile information, the new terms being applied instead to those who use the business chat function.
Through social networking posts, WhatsApp has assured users that updating its privacy policy does not affect the privacy of messages. He also added to frequently asked questions to answer users’ privacy issues related to sharing data with Facebook.
However, this did not stop an exodus of millions of users from the service to rival messaging applications such as Telegram and Signal, both of which rushed to exploit the situation to their advantage.
Since then, Telegram has added the ability for users to import their WhatsApp chat history so they don’t lose old conversations, while Signal recently received an update that contains several new features clearly designed to attract former users. WhatsApp.
Due to the confusion, WhatsApp says it has opted to delay the new changes to the privacy policy for three months, but does not cancel them.