With a user base of 2 billion, WhatsApp has become the messaging platform of choice for many of us and the chances are that if you’re reading this then you are a WhatsApp user. However, a change to its terms this week made us think about how we use it a little more deeply.
Earlier this week, WhatsApp pushed an update to its privacy policy out to its users with the (abbreviated) message: accept these terms by February 8th or no longer use WhatsApp. This update has caused a lot of anger amongst its users due to the following: “As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of 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.” Since 2016, you have been able to opt-out of sharing this data, but this update prevents the opt-out.
What does this mean for you?
If you’re in the UK or Europe this change doesn’t (currently) impact you
If you’re outside of this region then it means that WhatsApp may share some of your personal data across Facebook companies
Is this move a surprise?
On the one hand, it is surprising as Facebook has made huge moves to embed privacy by design into its infrastructure and this change is an ultimatum. But on the other hand, WhatsApp is a free messaging platform and Facebook is a commercial company, therefore this move must be a commercial one.
Can Facebook see all my conversations?
Absolutely not. WhatsApp messages are encrypted with state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption using Signal Protocol, a non-federated cryptographic protocol. The personal data that will be shared across the group could include your phone number, your contacts, names and diagnostic data. If you use Instagram or Facebook, you’ll be familiar with this level of shared data.
What about businesses using WhatsApp and Facebook?
This is the only place where your WhatsApp messages may be seen by Facebook. WhatsApp has added a feature allowing people to communicate with businesses. If those businesses were hosted on Facebook then when speaking with that business, your messages could be stored on Facebook. However, as a user you could opt out by not speaking with the business via WhatsApp or Facebook.
What alternatives do I have?
Signal has become a popular alternative built by the developers who created the Signal Protocol (see above). You could also look at Telegram but it isn’t as secure and private as Signal (and in some respects WhatsApp). Yet moving over means moving everyone you speak to including those huge family WhatsApp chats.
You’re in privacy, what are you doing?
As a UK resident this change doesn’t impact me yet. As the UK has left the EU, Facebook could alter our terms of service (like other tech companies including Google, Facebook will transfer all its users in the UK into user agreements presided over by its corporate headquarters in the US instead of Europe blaming Brexit uncertainty). Nonetheless, I am also a Facebook and Instagram user and so on balance, the information that WhatsApp will share with the Facebook Group is likely to be very marginally different to what it already knows about me.
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