WhatsApp New Privacy Policy

Those who use WhatsApp for instant messaging should be aware that the service has recently announced some changes to its terms and conditions. The new WhatsApp privacy policy for 2021 details which personal information the app collects from users. It also specifies how that data can be used or shared by WhatsApp.

It is common for apps like WhatsApp to change their privacy policy from time to time. Usually, these changes are met with little to no resistance. In the case of the 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy, users expressed concern over the sweeping permissions it gave to Facebook in regards to messages. Many people were quick to delete the app, and Facebook delayed the integration of the new measures until May 2021.

Here’s an effort to help you understand the new WhatsApp privacy policy and how it can affect your use of WhatsApp.

The New Privacy Policy Does Not Target Personal WhatsApp Messages

WhatsApp is owned by Facebook. When the company announced the changes to its privacy policy, some users were concerned that Facebook would now have access to its personal messages. Many people started to use Signal and Telegram after the announcement. It probably didn’t help that Elon Musk started to tweet that there were better alternatives for messaging than WhatsApp.

The backlash from users prompted Facebook to delay the changes to the policy for a few months. This appears to have been an effort at damage control by the social media giant. Facebook was quick to make clear that the new policy did not change privacy settings for personal messages. Those messages will still benefit from WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption.

Messages to and from businesses, however, are included in the new policy. Basically, the new 2021 WhatsApp privacy policy requires users to accept that business messages may be collected and used for marketing purposes. There will be associated information stored on Facebook’s servers.

This is a potential concern for anyone that wants more control of their own Internet security and privacy.

What Will Happen If You Don’t Accept the WhatsApp 2021 Privacy Policy?

It is still possible for users of WhatsApp to choose whether or not they will accept the new privacy policy. They can even continue using the app if they don’t, but their usage will be restricted over time.

WhatsApp will first prompt users to accept the agreement. The ability to send messages from the app will also be restricted. Finally, the refusal of the new privacy policy will lead to the app being disabled for users after 120 days. At that point, the user’s account will be deleted.

Is It Still Safe to Use WhatsApp?

If you are only using WhatsApp to send personal messages, Facebook claims that its service is still encrypted from end-to-end. As such, Facebook wants you to know that WhatsApp is completely safe to use. But is this really true? There have been stories from time to time which appear to cast doubt on the use of the app for truly secure messaging.

What we can say for sure is that your messages with any businesses are not protected. Some would argue that this step will only lead to greater permissions in the future. At best, you should use WhatsApp with diligence and caution.

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