If you haven’t been living under a rock, you would know that WhatsApp has faced a lot of backlash over its updated privacy policy over the past week. The company will start sharing data with its parent company, Facebook, next month and there’s no way out of it. You have to accept the terms or lose access to WhatsApp. This has enraged privacy-conscious users and is seeing them switch away to more secure alternatives like Signal and Telegram. This hullabaloo around its policy update has now forced WhatsApp to address rumors and further clarify its stance on data sharing.

  • Individual and Group chats are Encrypted

Individual and Group chats are Encrypted

We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption. pic.twitter.com/6qDnzQ98MP

Can Facebook See your WhatsApp Contacts or Location?

Data Sharing Happens When you Interact with Businesses

WhatsApp says it has updated its terms to be more transparent about the data it uses or collects from users. It brings changes to how businesses can handle data. So, the big question is – what data is WhatsApp planning to share with Facebook? Well, if you’ve read the updated privacy policy, you will know that businesses can store your messages and it can use the same for marketing purposes. If a business uses a third-party hosting service then they also gain access to data, which in turn can share your data with their partners. Facebook is trying to avoid this and fix this privacy loophole by offering businesses to use its own hosting services.

WhatsApp Privacy Policy Update: What Will Be Your Move?

So essentially, WhatsApp means to say that it will share your data with Facebook if you choose to interact with businesses or shop via its messaging app. “You have the option not to use these features” to keep businesses from saving chats, using your information for marketing purposes, sharing it with third-parties, and more. Though business chats are clearly labeled, you will have to tread carefully to protect your data from being used by third-parties.