WhatsApp updates terms of service: Accept new privacy policy or lose access to app

WhatsApp terms of service: People will lose access to WhatsApp if they do not accept privacy policy and new terms by February 8.

Facebook-owned messaging application WhatsApp equips to update its privacy policy soon. The messaging platform sent its users an in-app notification, letting them realize the upcoming changes in its policies. Users can delay accepting the new changes till February 8, after which they’re going to need to accept or lose access to the app. “WhatsApp is updating its privacy policy and terms,”. The in-app notification sent by the messaging platform to iOS and Android users read…

On February 8, the updated privacy policy and terms of service would implement. By then, users would must accept these conditions to be ready to continue using the moment messaging platform. Users who prefer to not believe these changes wouldn’t be able to use WhatsApp come February 8.

The instant messaging platform has updated the privacy policy on its website, where it stated that the platform offers some optional features and that they require WhatsApp to gather more information to produce these features to users who choose them. As deemed appropriate by WhatsApp, the users would also be updated about such a set of their information, it said. Those users who choose to not give the platform access to such additional information wouldn’t be able to use these optional features, like users not permitting WhatsApp to access location data wouldn’t be able to share their location with their contacts.

This platform also explained the amount of information the WhatsApp automatically collects. This includes the users’ activity on WhatsApp, their service settings, their interactions with other WhatsApp users, the time and duration of their activities on WhatsApp, log files, similarly as performance reports and logs.

Key updates of WhatsApp terms of service

The notification sent on Tuesday shared some information about the vital updates about WhatsApp’s administration and how it processes user data or how organizations can use Facebook hosted services to manage and store their chats. The new privacy policy also offers a glimpse at how WhatsApp partners with Facebook to supply integrations across all Facebook Company products.

“How organizations can use Facebook hosted administrations to store and manage their WhatsApp chats. The way we( WhatsApp) partners with Facebook to supply integrations across the Facebook Company Products,” the notification read.

How the WhatsApp will change once the new privacy policy comes into force

WhatsApp embellished on its website how the new privacy policy will change or how the WhatsApp collects data. Users are going to be required to produce additional information if they need to use a selected service. They’re going to be notified when such information is collected.

“Our Services have optional features which, if used by you, require us to gather additional information to supply such features. you may be notified of such a set, as appropriate”. “If you select to not provide the data needed to use a feature, you may be unable to use the feature,” the Facebook-owned messaging app published on its website.

So what type of data is collected?

Well WhatsApp on its site state that it will collect data like:

• Account Information
• Messages: Normal messages till they are delivered or temporarily Insent for 30 days
• Payment and Transactions data
• Location and Status
• Contact info and Reports
• Business and Third party data

What to do?

Well, it is completely up to you. If you tap agree, you will allow Whatsapp to collect your data or you can press not now but after feb. It will be deny and you will not be able to use Whatsapp services after that. Point to be noted here that WhatsApp was bought by facebook in 2004 and now the data is linked to facebook.

Facebook has faced lots of criticism related to data selling, data theft and all. So it is upto you whether you trust facebook for this, whether you have some private Information in WhatsApp or not, whether you want your data to be shared.

Are there any alternatives?

Yes, there are lots of better alternetives to WhatsApp in the market

• Telegram
• Signal
• Viber
• Kik
• iMessages (Apple only)
• Google Messages (Android only)

For example:

“If you do not permit us to gather your location data from your mobile/device, you can not share any of your location along with your contacts. Permissions will manage through your Settings menu on both Android and iOS devices,” it added.

So, this is a update of WhatsApp terms of service.