WhatsApp Privacy Policy: What has changed, how much of your data can Facebook see

Amid continuous concerns over data privacy policy, social media platform WhatsApp, which rolled out the new rules earlier this month, reassured its users that nothing changes for the private messages. 

Facebook Executive and Instagram head Adam Mosseri said that nothing changes for those who are texting their friends and families. The new privacy policy of WhatsApp has sparked criticism around the world, as the users outside Europe, who don’t accept the new rules, will be cut off from the messaging service. 

Can Facebook access all your data?

WhatsApp, in a blog post, on Tuesday said that it cannot see users’ private messages or hear their calls and neither Facebook can. “The policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way,” Mosseri said.

Also Read | Here’s all you need to know about WhatsApp’s new privacy policy

WhatsApp clarified that the new privacy policies pertain only to the Business accounts, not the regular, personal accounts. The new update is for the merchants on the platform, who use WhatsApp to chat with customers. The messaging app can share data with Facebook to target advertisements, the social network said.

– WhatsApp does not keep logs of “who everyone is messaging or calling.” WhatsApp can also not see the shared location of users and neither Facebook.

– Location data is end-to-end encrypted along with message contents on WhatsApp.

– WhatsApp does not share a user’s contact list with Facebook, or any other app. 

Also Read | How to use Signal? Everything to know about the app

– Groups on WhatsApp remain private, and no data is shared with Facebook for ads purposes. WhatsApp cannot see the private chats on the groups as they are also end-to-end encrypted. 

In the blog post, WhatsApp said, “We’re giving businesses the option to use secure hosting services from Facebook to manage WhatsApp chats with their customers, answer questions, and send helpful information like purchase receipts.”

Also Read | WhatsApp stresses privacy as users flock to rivals

What data does Facebook have?

WhatsApp clarified that its new policy does not affect regular users, however, to manage “large businesses”, the social media network “secure hosting services from Facebook to manage WhatsApp chats with their customers, answer questions, and send helpful information like purchase receipts”.

The app said that if a business is communicated via phone, email, or WhatsApp, the social media network can see what the user is saying and “may use that information for its own marketing purposes, which may include advertising on Facebook”.

However, WhatsApp clarified it will “clearly label conversations with businesses that are choosing to use hosting services from Facebook”.