After backlash, WhatsApp clarifies its new privacy policy

After facing severe backlash over its new privacy policy and terms of service, WhatsApp has clarified this move does not affect the privacy of user’s personal messages with their friends or family.

“This update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data,” the Facebook-owned messaging app said.

WhatsApp had unveiled a new privacy policy and terms of service last week, in a bid to share significantly more commercial user data with parent Facebook. Those who do not accept the updated privacy policy, which comes into force in February, will no longer be able to access the chats on the messaging platform, according to alerts being sent to users in India since early last week.

This had raised hackles among privacy experts, antitrust and cybersecurity advocates, who have long warned against data pooling among big technology firms.

On Monday, ET reported that several Indian and multinational companies had started issuing advisories to staff, asking them to avoid sharing sensitive company information on WhatsApp and stop using the platform for critical business calls.

Some of India’s top entrepreneurs are also joining a chorus of technology industry leaders in Silicon Valley, pushing for users to quit WhatsApp and join Signal, a messaging service backed by WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton.

The privacy-focused messaging app said this led to a “giant spike” in its app installs. Signal saw 2,200 installs on India’s app stores last Wednesday, up 38% from 1,600 installs in the week ended December 30, according to mobile intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Signal saw about 51,000 installs in December, up 11% from 46,000 in November.

WhatsApp also resolved an issue wherein some of its private groups and user profiles were accessible on Google Search earlier this week.