WhatsApp has updated its privacy policy and terms of service to better integrate with other products and services offered by Facebook. Unlike the release of a new feature or an update that adds new functionality, the instant messaging app has brought the change almost silently with an in-app notification.
Millions of Indian users received an in-app notification from WhatsApp asking them to either accept the changes in its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy by February 8 or their accounts will be deleted. The notice provides a glimpse of the changes WhatsApp has brought to its privacy policy and terms of service. Users have also been provided an option to agree to the update directly from the full-screen notice or to cancel for now.
Information collected automatically by WhatsApp
WhatsApp collects information about user activity such as how you use WhatsApp, your settings, how you interact with others, the time, frequency & duration of your activities. This also includes information about when a user registered on WhatsApp, the features they use such as messaging, calling, etc, profile photo, “about” information. It also collects information on what device you use, mobile network, IP address and your precise location information from your device, but with your permission.
Update on Privacy Policy & Terms of Service
As far as the specifics are concerned, WhatsApp has also updated its website that gives people detailed information as to what exactly is changing. One of the many changes that the company has made pertains to 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. This section was missing in the previous edition that was last updated in December 2019.
The company has also updated details about a user’s connections. “If any of your contacts aren’t yet using our Services, we’ll manage this information for you in a way that ensures those contacts cannot be identified by us,”.
In addition to this, WhatsApp has also detailed how it processes ‘device and connection information’ and ‘location information’. “We collect device and connection-specific information when you install, access, or use our Services. This includes information such as hardware model, operating system information, battery level, signal strength, app version, browser information, mobile network, connection information (including phone number, mobile operator or ISP), language and time zone, IP address, device operations information, and identifiers,”.
In the updated section, WhatsApp shares in detail how the collaboration works and affects its day-to-day workings. This also marks a significant shift in Facebook’s approach towards its companies from being individual entities to being a part of the company’ family of apps.
We suggest you to select ‘Not Now’ as of now as we still have time till February to accept it, they might further modify it by then.
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