New WhatsApp Terms

It all started on January 8th, when the app received a change to its Terms and Privacy policy, which included sharing data with Facebook.

In other words, if you do not accept that WhatsApp data will be shared with the famous social network Facebook, you will lose WhatsApp functionality.

It should be noted that the application collects data from each user every time they use it, and consequently this would be the data that would be passed from WhatsApp to Facebook.

For this reason, for several weeks now you may have noticed a banner when you open the WhatsApp application, in which you can see a link that will take you to the site where you can find out all the details that will be explicit about the changes that will be made to the new Conditions and Privacy policy. “Likewise, from time to time we will have the obligation to remind our users that they must accept these new conditions and/or updates.”

WhatsApp and Facebook are looking for a way to explain to their users that the notification that will appear when they enter the app, recording their acceptance of the new Terms and Privacy policy, will contain the following:

✔️ We have no way to read or listen to your personal conversations as they are end-to-end encrypted and this will never change.

✔️ We are creating a way to make it easier to chat with businesses and/or companies when you have a question and thus be able to get a faster response. Please note that chatting with companies and/or businesses is optional.

✔️ We have the responsibility to explain to our users what we are modifying.

✔️ Always keep in mind that WhatsApp is still free.

This announcement is intended to make it clear to all those who use this application that WhatsApp users are not charged for accepting its new update.

“ Every day that passes, millions of people prefer to communicate via WhatsApp with companies and/or acquaintances because it is easier to call them on the phone or exchange messages via email ”; meanwhile, companies are charged, not individual users, for using WhatsApp in order to provide that customer service.

The most important thing is the way of implementing or suggesting things, since Facebook does not give you an option to choose, it simply imposes it, you must accept it, or the only option that the social network provides is to disable your WhatsApp account.

At this point, the situation changes radically, and even personalities such as Elon Musk will come out to advise you to delete your WhatsApp application and look for other apps that can help you. These are much safer and without the obligation to exchange your data with Facebook.

It is worth noting that some features are integrated with Facebook so that companies have the option of managing their own inventories through the applications.

This applies directly to WhatsApp so that people can choose whether or not they want to communicate with the companies they prefer.

In mid-April this year, a German privacy regulator created a procedure to prevent Facebook from going ahead with its current privacy policy supplement.

Hamburg-based data protection and freedom of information commissioner Johannes Caspar wants to prevent Facebook from aggregating WhatsApp user data, for fear that it could use it to expand its marketing and advertising business. Its content is misleading and unreliable, as it contains considerable contradictions.

Furthermore, after a thorough analysis, it was not clear what consequences consent could have for users and/or companies that use it.

As a result, such consent is not freely given, as WhatsApp requires approval of the new provisions as a condition for continuing to manage the service's functionalities.

In this context, there is no basis in data protection law that could justify the power that Facebook exercises for independent processing that it wishes to implement.

Facebook cannot therefore cite a dominant legitimate interest in processing WhatsApp users' data, as their rights and freedoms conflict with each other.

Consent is neither clear nor voluntary. Because of this, consent under data protection law cannot be considered a legal basis.

The processing of WhatsApp user data is also not necessary for Facebook to execute a contract.

What do you share with the new WhatsApp rules and conditions?

✅ Model and year of your phone

✅ Your entire contact book

✅ Your photo and profile information

✅ Basic information about WhatsApp groups you participate in, such as: group name and photo)

✅ Your connections from when you are online until you leave the application

✅ Third-party information (such as how others store information about you on their phone)

What happens if I don't accept?

✅ You will only be able to receive calls and check messages through the notification screen.

✅ You will not be able to access the message sections to read or send them.

✅ If you do not accept after a few weeks, you will not receive any more calls or messages.

✅ Things will only return to normal if you accept WhatsApp's terms and conditions.

Ultimately, WhatsApp 's new terms have caused a lot of controversy and only time will tell how much this will affect the platform that has been the leader in instant messaging.

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