What exactly popular messaging app WhatsApp is up to?

 Hello guys! I hope you are doing well! After a long time, I have come up with a blog covering the issue of being in limelight about the famous messaging app WhatsApp. I believe you are well aware of the controversy going on about WhatsApp, right. Since the announcement has been taken place about the changes in WhatsApp privacy policy on January 5, 2021, the company faced a major backlash globally. Why? Because if you don’t agree to the new policy changes, your WhatsApp would have been banned by February 8. But recently, on January 15, the company again made an announcement telling people that the changes will be delayed for 3 months. It means the changes will come into force in May.

The question here is what exactly WhatsApp is planning to do? What is the motive behind the delay in the changes? We will talk about these questions in this blog. Stay tuned here!

Let’s now jump in below.

WhatsApp introduced a new privacy policy on January 5, 2021

Yes, January 5 was the day when we all got to know about the new policy of WhatsApp. Since then the Company has been in controversies and faced a lot of criticism for running its monopoly in the market. After January 5, WhatsApp users started receiving notifications or pop-ups highlighting new terms and conditions. You might have also got one. Thankfully, I have not received any pop-up yet. The users who have agreed to the new changes are running WhatsApp successfully on their device. But the problem occurred for privacy concerned users who didn’t agree to the changes which resulted in the banning of WhatsApp.

For your kind information let me tell you what new the policy of WhatsApp says:

·        WhatsApp integrates with Facebook and Instagram

·        Facebook will bring new services to WhatsApp after integration

·        Facebook may collect data from WhatsApp for targeting users with ads

After this step, WhatsApp faced a series of counterblast globally. Of course, why would any privacy-concerned user accept your policy? This could be the reason why the company is delaying the changes. Let’s talk about it also in our next section.

The changes in new Privacy Policy are delayed for 3 months now

Now why, Why this delay? What has happened now? You’re asking this, right. On 15 January, WhatsApp announced a three-month delay of a new privacy policy which originally supposed to happen on February 8. Do you know why? The new privacy policy changes actually created a lot of confusion in users' minds globally about data sharing with Facebook.

Well, WhatsApp has many times clarified that it would not share user’s data with Facebook unless it is a business chat. Yes, guys, the update is only meant for businesses who connect with customers for providing services via the WhatsApp platform.

WhatsApp statements in light to confusion taking place about the new privacy policy

In a blog post, the company clarifies the misconception harboring in the minds of people, “We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update. There’s been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts,”

In another blog post, the company writes, “We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages and end-to-end encryption.”

Moreover, the Company also claims that the media has misconstrued the language about data sharing and misinformation was revealing on social media platforms as well.

But what about those users who got their WhatsApp banned after not agreeing to a new privacy policy? This is the major question here if the company is saying that the misinformation is being spread about its new privacy policy. Do you guys agree?

Now what exactly WhatsApp is up to?

So, after a lot of criticisms, backlash, misconceptions/misinformation (as WhatsApp says), the company planned to delay in the new privacy policy for 3 months. What will WhatsApp do in these three months? You may not know but the company will use these 3 months to better communicate both the changes in the new policy and its privacy practices around personal chats, sensitive data, email information, location sharing, and other confidential data. The company here says, “No one will be losing access to the app if they didn’t agree to the new terms of service agreement that communicated the changes earlier this month.”

Furthermore, the company says that we’re also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security work on WhatsApp. We’ll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15,” the company says.

Let’s come to the conclusion

I hope the confusion which has been there in your mind since January 5 is cleared with this blog. Now the company will not ban your WhatsApp even if you don’t agree to its new privacy policy. It should also be cleared to you that the changes are required for Business WhatsApp only. Your data, information, privacy, all are safe. Take a chill pill now!

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