WhatsApp’s new policy update explained 2021-Accept or Delete your account

• WhatsApp has updated its privacy policy and terms of service Which will come into force on February 8, 2021, the Facebook-owned company informed users through the notice on its app.
• It gives more insight into how the messaging platform will use user data and, more importantly, share it with its parent company Facebook going forward.

The biggest highlight with this new update is that going forward, WhatsApp will share all the information collected with Facebook and its subsidiaries. The company claims that they are updating the new policy for better “integrations across Facebook’s family of apps and products” while providing transparency on what data will be shared with Facebook and more importantly how it will be used.

Both Android and iOS users received a full-screen pop up on their application, that provided a snapshot of the key updates.

What are the important policy changes?

The older version of the privacy policy, used to start with the following lines:

‘Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA. Since we started WhatsApp, we’ve aspired to build our Services with a set of strong privacy principles in mind.’

Those lines are no longer part of the new privacy policy.

Accept or Delete your account.

• WhatsApp updating its terms of service and privacy policy is not new.
• Most software services do update their services occasionally.
• It is standard practice that in order to continue using these services, the user accepts the new conditions and policy.
• This time, WhatsApp is giving a deadline of February 8, 2021 to accept the new policy or delete your account.
• WhatsApp stays end-to-end encrypted.
• Which means it can’t see your messages, or share it with anyone.
• But the new policy suggests an increasing reliance on other Facebook products.

What are some of the changes with regard to other Facebook Company products?

• WhatsApp’s new privacy policy notes that when users rely on “third-party services or other Facebook Company Products that are integrated with our Services,
• those third-party services may receive information about what you or others share with them.
• “Examples of this kind of third-party integration include using the in-app video player to play content from a third-party platform”. It also clarifies that when someone is using “third-party services or other Facebook Company Products, their own terms and privacy policies will govern your use of those services and products.”

What sort of hardware information is WhatsApp collecting?

WhatsApp says it is collecting new information around from your device such as “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 (including identifiers unique to Facebook Company Products associated with the same device or account).” These were not mentioned in the previous policy.

Data location and Storage Regarding Updates

• WhatsApp also clearly mentions in the privacy policy that it uses Facebook’s global infrastructure and data centers, including those in the United States to store user data.
• This was not explicitly mentioned in the previous policy.
• It also states that the data in some cases will be transferred to the United States or other parts where Facebook’s affiliate companies are based, adding that “these transfers are necessary to provide the global Services set forth in our Terms.”

Location Information Related Updates

WhatsApp’s new policy states that even if a user does not use their location-relation features, they collect “IP addresses and other information like phone number area codes to estimate your general location (city, country).”

Payments Data Related Updates

WhatsApp has rolled out payments in India and other countries, it is not surprising to see this part of the privacy policy getting expanded further. WhatsApp says that if you use their payments services they will “process additional information about you, including payment account and transaction information.” However, WhatsApp Payments in India has its own dedicated privacy policy.

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