![]() ![]() WhatsApp delays enforcement of privacy terms by 3 months, following backlash Responding to the backlash last week, the Facebook-owned app, which serves more than 2 billion users worldwide, said it was deferring the enforcement of the planned policy to May 15. WhatsApp, which Facebook bought for $19 billion in 2014, has been sharing some limited information about its users with the social giant since 2016 - and for a period allowed users to opt-out of this. We are working to address misinformation and remain available to answer any questions.” WhatsApp will always protect personal messages with end-to-end encryption so that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see them. Our aim is to provide transparency and new options available to engage with businesses so they can serve their customers and grow. In a statement on Tuesday, a WhatsApp spokesperson said, “We wish to reinforce that this update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook. ![]() The notification from WhatsApp prompted a lot of confusion - and in some cases, anger and frustration - among its users, many of which have explored alternative messaging apps such as Telegram and Signal in recent weeks. This approach leverages the social significance of WhatsApp to force users into a bargain, which may infringe on their interests in relation to informational privacy and information security,” the ministry said in the email. “This ‘all-or-nothing’ approach takes away any meaningful choice from Indian users. Users were initially provided until February 8 to comply with the new policy if they wished to continue using the service. ![]() Through an in-app alert earlier this month, WhatsApp had asked users to agree to new terms of conditions that grants the app the consent to share with Facebook some personal data about them, such as their phone number and location. “The government of India owes a sovereign responsibility to its citizens to ensure that their interests are not compromised and therefore it calls upon WhatsApp to respond to concerns raised in this letter.” “Such a differential treatment is prejudicial to the interests of Indian users and is viewed with serious concern by the government,” the ministry wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by TechCrunch. The ministry is additionally seeking clarification from WhatsApp on its data-sharing agreement with Facebook and other commercial firms and has asked why users in the EU are exempt from the new privacy policy but their counterpoint in India have no choice but to comply. In an email to WhatsApp head Will Cathcart, the nation’s IT ministry said the upcoming update to the app’s data-sharing policy has raised “grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens… Therefore, you are called upon to withdraw the proposed changes.” If you’re a WhatsApp user and you don’t want to agree to the changes, you may wish to look into alternative messaging apps for Android or iOS.India has asked WhatsApp to withdraw the planned change to its privacy policy, posing a new headache to the Facebook-owned service that identifies the South Asian nation as its biggest market by users. The new policy will come into effect on May 15 this year. The detractors include the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, who has been a prominent critic of Facebook and last month encouraged his 42 million Twitter followers to use encrypted messaging app Signal instead of WhatsApp. The changes to WhatsApp’s privacy policy have been controversial, with many users unhappy about the privacy implications. WhatsApp Communities want to be your private social media WhatsApp now lets you control who can see your profile WhatsApp finally lets you edit sent messages. ![]()
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