WhatsApp will now push out banners to provide more information on its privacy policy, which came under fire amid users’ concerns that the messaging platform shares private messages with parent company Facebook.
WhatsApp put out a new blog post explaining “updated plans” for how it will ask users to review its terms of service and privacy policy. “We previously encountered a great deal of misinformation about this update and we continue to work hard to clear up any confusion.”
WhatsApp to display banners on its new privacy policy
For those unaware, WhatsApp announced in early January that it is updating its privacy policy and forced users to comply with it till February 8. The messaging platform said that users who do not accept the terms after this date will lose access to their WhatsApp account.
However, the deadline for the policy was extended to May 15 after users raised privacy concerns as it revealed details of user data WhatsApp shares with Facebook. WhatsApp has since then put out several blog posts to clear the confusion. The company has emphasized that personal messages will always be end-to-end encrypted.
The banner feature, which will be released in the coming weeks, will essentially invite users to check out the platform’s privacy policies again.
But do keep in mind that parts of data of those interacting with businesses on WhatsApp can be stored on Facebook’s servers. Primarily, this data will be used by WhatsApp for targeting ads on Facebook. WhatsApp has clarified that the personal messages of users will remain private, though interactions with businesses might not have the same protections. Of course, chatting with a business accountnt is optional.
WhatsApp recently started giving out information on its privacy policy through its Status feature. The upcoming banner feature will include “more information to try and address concerns we’re hearing,” WhatsApp says.
WhatsApp new terms of service alert live in Android beta 2.21.4.13
WhatsApp for Android beta 2.21.4.13 includes new banners that the messaging app is planning to push out soon, according to a WABetaInfo report.
WhatsApp also provided screenshots of what the banner will look like. A small banner that reads, “We’re updating our terms and privacy policy. Tap to review” will pop up that users can click on to read more about WhatsApp’s privacy policy in full screen. “The terms and privacy policy go into effect on May 15, 2021. Please accept these updates to continue using WhatsApp after this date,” it mentioned.
