A few days back WhatsApp brought forward their new privacy policies for the users which they had to accept in order to continue using the application. The new changes in the privacy policy stated that the user information from WhatsApp will be used by Facebook as they are trying to make WhatsApp a new e-commerce platform for the users. The users started getting a popup in the app asking them to accept the policy changes before February 8, to continue using the app.
Due to the very same reason, the company received a backlash from both the individual users and companies on forcing the users to accept the new privacy policies in order to use the app. Due to this, billionaires like Elon Musk also advised people to remove the WhatsApp app and start using the Signal app, which is a great alternative to it. The company has now posted a new message on Twitter, mentioning, “address some rumors and be 100% clear.”
As per their official statement in the FAQ section, “We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.“” The company claims that the new privacy policy in no way states that the company will have access to the messages in WhatsApp as they are encrypted and cannot be accessed by anyone except the users themselves. Since then the company has seen a large drop of WhatsApp users globally and is now trying to patch up the confusion related to it.