WhatsApp delays new policy change after critics claimed update would turn over user data to Facebook | Businessinsider
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- WhatsApp is delaying by three months the rollout of a brand new coverage that some critics stated would flip over person knowledge to Fb.
- Customers initially had been set to choose in or out of the coverage change on February 8 and can no longer need to till Might 15.
- WhatsApp stated the delay is because of “confusion” and “misinformation” surrounding the brand new coverage, which it stated will “not broaden our capacity to share knowledge with Fb.”
- Go to Enterprise Insider’s homepage for extra tales.
WhatsApp is delaying its privateness coverage modifications that critics stated would have compelled customers to share private knowledge with Fb, based on an organization weblog put up printed Friday.
The delay was as a result of “confusion” and “misinformation” surrounding the brand new coverage, based on the corporate. It stated the brand new coverage replace solely contains new choices for individuals to handle their enterprise on WhatsApp and “doesn’t broaden our capacity to share knowledge with Fb.”
The date of the brand new coverage rollout will probably be pushed again till Might 15, based on the weblog put up. WhatsApp additionally stated nobody’s account will probably be suspended or deleted on February 8, when the coverage was initially scheduled to enter impact.
The announcement comes two weeks after WhatsApp introduced the brand new change, drawing criticism from the messaging app’s customers who had been involved about their knowledge privateness. After the brand new coverage was introduced, many customers started flocking to different messaging platforms, such because the encrypted chat app Sign. Tesla CEO Elon Musk even tweeted to “use sign.”
WhatsApp on Monday tried to deal with the uproar over privateness issues with a put up on its web site, explaining that the replace was designed to assist companies on its platform, because it reiterated in Friday’s put up.
“We need to be clear that the coverage replace doesn’t have an effect on the privateness of your messages with mates or household in any manner. As a substitute, this replace contains modifications associated to messaging a enterprise on WhatsApp, which is non-compulsory, and offers additional transparency about how we acquire and use knowledge,” WhatsApp stated.
Sign noticed 7.5 million downloads final week, a 4,200% spike because the earlier week. On Wednesday, Sign was on the high of each Google and Apple’s app shops. Giant swaths of customers migrated to Telegram as nicely – the platform gained 9 million new customers final week, up 91% from the earlier week, and can be on the high of Google and Apple’s app shops.
