WhatsApp users since yesterday have been receiving an in-app notification regarding the changes in the service’s new terms and privacy policy. The changes, as mentioned in the image, highlight three points: how WhatsApp processes your data, how businesses will be able to use Facebook hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats, and how WhatsApp will soon partner with Facebook for deeper integrations.
The changes will take effect starting February 8th, and users either have to accept these changes or will have no choice but to stop using the platform. Users who do not accept the updated privacy policy, coming into action in February, will no longer be able to access the chats on the messaging platform.
“As part of the Facebook Companies, WhatsApp receives information from and shares information (see here) with, the other Facebook Companies. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings, including the Facebook Company Products. This includes:
- helping improve infrastructure and delivery systems;
- understanding how our Services or theirs are used;
- promoting safety, security and integrity across the Facebook Company Products, e.g., securing systems and fighting spam, threats, abuse, or infringement activities;
- improving their services and your experiences using them, such as making suggestions for you (for example, of friends or group connections, or of interesting content), personalized features and content, helping you complete purchases and transactions, and showing relevant offers and ads across the Facebook Company Products; and
- providing integrations which enable you to connect your WhatsApp experiences with other Facebook Company Products. For example, allowing you to connect your Facebook Pay account to pay for things on WhatsApp or enabling you to chat with your friends on other Facebook Company Products, such as Portal, by connecting your WhatsApp account.“
If you would like to know more about the new terms and policy changes, you can access the updated Privacy Policy by following this link.
