WhatsApp Extends Privacy Update Deadline of Sharing Users’ Data to Facebook

Unprecedented WhatsApp pop-up notice warned users who need to accept the privacy updates if they want to continue using WhatsApp or delete their accounts. Billions of its users are forced to agree WhatsApp to share information with Facebook before the original deadline of 8 February, 2021 when they want to keep the service from WhatsApp. A section of the international privacy policy has been removed, which previously let people opt out of sharing personal information with Facebook for the first 30 days after the changes went live. It has drawn so much concern from the users to decide in such a short period. In around 10 days shortly after the notice in early January, WhatsApp has extended the deadline to 15 May, 2021 as the company would like to give more time for users to understand the ‘confusion’ of the message of its notice.

Due to the EU Privacy Regulator, European and UK users would not see the same data-sharing changes, although they will need to accept new terms. In other words, this policy does not apply in Europe and the UK, where different privacy laws exist.

The sudden notice from WhatsApp of sharing users’ information to its parent company Facebook storms users over the world about the protection on privacy, especially in Asia and India region. And the delay of the new privacy effective date to 15 May 2021 may probably a responsive approach when WhatsApp users flock to rival social media platforms.

So, what personal information do you concern to be disclosed outside the platform of WhatsApp ? Referring to a blogpost, WhatsApp said personal messages had always been encrypted and would remain private. It added that its practice of sharing some user data with Facebook was not new, and was not going to be expanded.

“The update includes new options people will have to message a business on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data,” it said.

WhatsApp explained that the data that it already shares with other Facebook companies includes:

• users’ phone number and other information provided on registration, e.g. names of the users
• details about your phone, including make, model, and mobile company
• your IP address, which indicates location of your internet connection
• any products payments and financial transactions made over WhatsApp

In the old days, people used to agree the pop-up updating notice of any Apps without looking deep into the adjustment of terms of use. However, people started to be alert about the importance of providing their own privacy in recent years.