WhatsApp Has Delayed Its Policy Changes, And Cleared Things Up About the Update
Remember WhatsApp's privacy policy update? Well, it's been pushed back from the original date of February 8 to May 15. WhatsApp says it heard the confusion and subsequent misinformation and concern about the recent update.
In a blog post titled "Giving More Time For Our Recent Update," WhatsApp clarified its principles and laid down the facts.
"[WhatsApp] will always protect your personal conversations with end-to-end encryption, so that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see these private messages. It’s why we don’t keep logs of who everyone’s messaging or calling. We also can’t see your shared location and we don’t share your contacts with Facebook," the statement read.
The company further stated that none of the above is changing while adding that the new update will give users an option to message a business on WhatsApp. According to the company, the update will be useful for users that shop with a business on the app. It reiterated that the update won't expand its ability to share data with Facebook.
It continued, "We’re now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8. We're also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security works on WhatsApp. We’ll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15."
The damage has already been done, however. As soon as WhatsApp announced the change in privacy terms, users uninstalled the app and flocked to Signal and Telegram. Reports say Telegram saw 15.7 million downloads from January 5 to 12.
