Your Choice: Risk OR Convenience?
Be aware of what are you agreeing for…
Many of you heard a lot about WhatsApp in recent days because of the Updated Policy.
It’s important to discuss and get more clarification on what this WhatsApp new Policy is all about because WhatsApp is being used by more than 1.5 billion people worldwide.
On a personal level, I must admit that WhatsApp made my life very easy while staying away from my friends and family in this corona situation.
I hope, you all can also relate to your condition and how your WhatsApp usage got raised.
It because an essential part of life.
I am not sure about other countries but in India, the government documents are also being shared via WhatApp and are accepted legally too.
I am a bit surprised too to understand the psychology behind how WhatsApp is the most popular App among Uneducated people too.
Generally, I don’t write about such topics but Now I think that this time, it's really needed because many of us unintentionally just accept and click on the AGREE button for policies/Terms and Condition of the app we use.
I request you all to read the detailed policy here: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/update... and also let your friends and family about it but don’t spread wrong info and rumors about it.
After knowing the Policy it's your choice whether you want to stop using it Or want to continue the usage.
1st: Rumors and fact Checking
Rumor: All our data, specifically the messages/chats will be shared by the WhatApp to the parent company FACEBOOK and other the 3rd parties.
Fact:
For WhatsApp: Still, the newly updated policy states that the messages come with E2E encryption. I will try to give you an overlook.
BUT
For Bussiness WhatsApp: YES, your details will be shared and WhatsApp may take your Personal chats too if it's done via Bussiness WhatsApp.
Detail:
For Encryption, many of the messenger services use the signal protocol for encryption.
Signal is an open-source protocol from Open Whisper Systems that was developed by security experts Trevor Perrin and Moxie Marlinspike and is now considered the encryption standard. The encryption protocol was checked by international security researchers and is considered very secure. It is also recommended by Edward Snowden.
2nd: Account deletion🤔?
Even if you delete your WhatsApp account, the already shared information(especially after your agreement with the policy) will remain with WhatsApp.
3rd: What will be shared after the updated policy?
WhatsApp will share its users’ personal information, including phone numbers, IP addresses, contacts, & more with Facebook from Feb. 8
4th: What if I don’t accept ‘Terms and Conditions’?
You will not be able to use WhatsApp after 8 Feb.
If you are sad ☹️ now, don’t want to compromise your privacy, and are thinking 🤔, what to do then don’t worry we have some good alternatives 😊
- Signal which is very much similar to WhatsApp but without any compromise and also based on Signal protocol plus the encryption is by default.
For using this app, you need to provide your phone number as you will get the OTP (One-time password/pin) and the username is mandatory too but in the username, you can provide anything(Smiley will work too 😊) - Telegram App: It requires opt-in encryption.
I am a bit scared to use WhatApp now, thinking of how FACEBOOK used user’s info with “Cambridge Analytica” for US election campaigns in 2014.
One thing I forgot to mention, the EU has different terms and conditions.
Reason:
WhatsApp was in 2014 purchased by data giant Facebook. With the takeover came an update of the terms of use, which met with criticism and aroused suspicion, especially in Europe. Data from WhatsApp should be shared with the Facebook group. Because of the criticism — also from the EU — WhatsApp stopped the data exchange with Facebook again in Europe. But the story still leaves a pale aftertaste, especially since the legal dispute has not yet been resolved.
In May 2020: https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-data-chief-tells-ministries-whatsapp-is-a-no-go/a-53474413
Putting a few references for you:
https://www.welivesecurity.com/2021/01/07/whatsapp-updates-privacy-policy-share-user-data-facebook/
https://www.dw.com/en/whatsapp-update-to-expand-data-sharing-sparks-criticism/a-56164619
https://thewire.in/tech/whatsapp-updated-policy-data-sharing-criticism
