Read also WhatsApp revises its terms of use on sharing user data with Facebook
To say the least, the message asking WhatsApp users to accept the new overseas chinese in australia data terms by February 8th has sparked some backlash. Some felt that the app, known for its encrypted messages and privacy, had decided to share all its data with Facebook, the targeted advertising giant that bought it in 2014. In fact, the affair caused Signal downloads to soar, encouraged by a Tweet from Tesla founder Elon Musk, praising this competing messaging service. However, Signal was joined in 2018 by WhatsApp founder Brian Acton, who had slammed the door on Facebook over disagreement over its “monetization” strategy .
Facebook has since worked to put out the fire by assuring that its announcement was misunderstood. “Our policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family,” the company insisted. WhatsApp still does not know the content of your
Read also: What personal data is stored by the application?
"We will do much more to clarify the misinformation about how we work on security and respect for the privacy" of users, WhatsApp explains in its press release: "We will then gradually come back to our users so that they can review our rules of use, at the pace they wish, before the new options linked to merchant accounts [online stores, sale of services, etc.] are deployed on May 15."
In this text, the service also reaffirms its commitment to "communication while respecting private life" and re-explains that it operates with full encryption of all messages (which prevents WhatsApp and Facebook from having access to the content of discussions that take place on the messaging service).
