On January 15, WhatsApp announced it would delay its recent privacy policy update after users raised concerns about the app sharing data with its parent company, Facebook. Originally, users were required to consent to the policy by February 8 or their accounts would stop working. Users voiced their concern about the new privacy policy and exactly what information would be shared. WhatsApp has since walked back its original statement by pushing back the date users would have to review and accept the terms. The company’s latest announcement also claims that the update only includes “new options” to interact with businesses and increase transparency with data use and collection. This is an attempt at monetizing the app after failed attempts to do so in the past. Many users are already flocking to other messaging options, as competition increases. Read more here.
Members of the News/Media Alliance staff have contributed to this post.
