Bought by Facebook in 2014, WhatsApp is one of the most
popular apps of all time, used by an estimated two billion people across the
globe.
However, ever since its announcement a few weeks ago that
WhatsApp has the right to share user data across its other units such as
Messenger and Facebook, users around the globe have been switching to other
messaging platforms.
WhatsApp’s parent company, Facebook, doesn’t have the best
reputation when it comes to user privacy, so much so that WhatsApp’s CEO had to
publicly guarantee the sanctity of its privacy policy after it was acquired by
Facebook.
WhatsApp faced an unprecedented backlash from its user base
back when it initially decided to start sharing user information with Facebook.
The public outcry was even greater when WhatsApp announced
the most recent changes to its privacy policy earlier this month, prompting an
investigation in Turkey and the changes being delayed from February to May
while the messaging app deals with the fallout.
However, with misconceptions surrounding the new privacy
policy mounting and WhatsApp in hot water with its users, the Facebook-owned
messaging platform is going to great lengths to combat misinformation against
its services and alleviate users’ concerns.
WhatsApp has added a full FAQ page addressing the privacy
policy changes, taken out ads on Google promoting explanations of its privacy
policy, and, in a statement earlier this month, said:
The update does not change WhatsApp’s data sharing practices
with Facebook and does not impact how people communicate privately with friends
or family wherever they are in the world. WhatsApp remains deeply committed to
protecting people’s privacy. We are communicating directly with users through
WhatsApp about these changes so they have time to review the new policy over
the course of the next month.
Lately, Facebook has again locked heads with Apple when it
comes to privacy. Apple’s new privacy requirements in the App Store are seeing
a pushback from Facebook, as the latter’s ad practices are going to be exposed,
with the social network said to launch an antitrust case against the iPhone
maker.