OPT-IN or NO SERVICE: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum.

It is sad that we are left with no choice but to opt-in!

Prior to this ultimatum, WhatsApp gave users in 2016 a one-time ability to opt-out of having account data turned over to Facebook. Now, the updated privacy policy is changing that. Therefore, come February 2021, users will no longer have that choice but to opt-in if they still need to use WhatsApp.

See my earlier article on how we are trading our treasure (Personal data) https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/trading-our-treasure-veronica-rose-cisa/. and since the services are freely accessible, users become the products whatsoever.

WhatsApp being part of the Facebook family of companies, under the new terms and conditions, Facebook reserves the right to share collected data with its family of companies. Below are some of the data that WhatsApp collects or has access too from your device:

• User's phone numbers
• Other people’s phone numbers stored in your address books
• Photos & video library
• Profile names
• Profile pictures
• Documents
• Status message including when a user was last online
• Diagnostic data collected from app logs
• Live location services if turned on or location history if the pin was shared

Together, the WhatsApp privacy policy and terms of service are more than 8,000 words long and are filled with legal jargon that makes it difficult for non-lawyers to understand but one of the critical statements in the new privacy policy states. “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.” For example, when someone uses WhatsApp to interact with third-party businesses, Facebook may also share information with those outside entities.

Are there alternative apps? Yes!

People who object to the new terms and policy can consider using different messenger Apps, these include;

• Signal messenger provides the same robust encryption engine with a much more transparent privacy policy and terms of service. (Those documents are half the length of those from WhatsApp, too.) Besides providing encrypted chats, Signal also offers encrypted audio and video calls. Signal is a state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption (powered by the open-source Signal Protocol) that keeps your conversations secure. Privacy isn’t an optional mode it’s just the way that Signal works. Every message, every call, every time.
• Telegram messages are heavily encrypted and can self-destruct. Synced. Telegram lets you access your chats from multiple devices. Telegram has an open API and source code free for everyone. Telegram has no limits on the size of your media and chats. Telegram groups can hold up to 200,000 members. Telegram keeps your messages safe from hacker attacks. Telegram lets you completely customize your messenger.
• Mixin Messenger
• Tok Messenger
• Quantum Voice
• CorpChat
• LINKCAST
• Spy Messenger
• Session
• ChatSecure
• Blitz etc

Underlying questions:

What could be the reasons for WhatsApp to share users’ data with Facebook?

Feel free to add more questions in the comment section.