WhatsApp is doing its best to stop the exodus of its users. Now, the instant messaging application uses articles of association to clarify the clauses of its new terms of use. WhatsApp ensures that the privacy and personal data of its users are its priority. With these statuses, the messaging company owned by Facebook seeks to convince its users not to migrate to Signal, Telegram and others.
–
In early January 2021, WhatsApp announced a major update to its terms of service. The application now grants itself the right to share conversations between a company and a user with Facebook, its parent company since 2014. Concretely, the discussion logs will be stored on Facebook’s servers. These changes, explained with great clumsiness, have prompted many Internet users to abandon WhatsApp and rush to Signal or Telegram.
In order to reassure its users, WhatsApp has deployed several bursts of press releases and updates to its FAQ. To reach more people, the application will now use the statuses (its version of Snapchat Stories) in order to clarify the changes made to its terms of use.
On the same subject: WhatsApp or Signal? Here’s how to choose your messaging app
WhatsApp ensures that all messages are encrypted, so what?
Many users residing in the United Kingdom, the United States and India explain having received statuses from WhatsApp. It is very likely that these messages will be quickly pushed in France. These statutes underline the commitment of messaging to respect for life. For example, we can read: “One thing that is not new is our commitment to your privacy” or “WhatsApp cannot read or listen to your personal conversations because they are end-to-end encrypted”.
Asked by The Verge, a spokesperson for WhatsApp explains: “There has been a lot of misinformation and confusion after our recent update and we want to help everyone understand the facts behind how WhatsApp protects people’s privacy and security. Going forward, we will provide updates in the Status tab so that users receive information directly from WhatsApp. Our first update is a reminder that WhatsApp cannot see your personal messages, nor can Facebook, because they are protected by end-to-end encryption ”.
As always, WhatsApp seeks to drown the fish by evoking message encryption. In this case, it’s not the encryption that worries users. It is rather the sharing of data with Facebook, a social network known to sell Internet users’ data to advertising firms. In order to calm things down, WhatsApp preferred to postpone data sharing with Facebook to May 2021. Will these measures be sufficient to prevent Signal and others from sucking some of its users?
Source : The Verge
–
