The update would make it easier for users on the messaging app to make transactions and get support from companies, a company spokesperson said on Friday.
Key quote:
"The update does not change WhatsApp'sdata-sharing practices with Facebook and does not impact how people communicate privately with friends or family wherever they are in the world. WhatsApp remains deeply committed to protecting people's privacy. We are communicating directly with users through WhatsApp about these changes, so they have time to review the new policy over the course of the next month," said a spokesperson for WhatsApp.
It remains up to the user whether or not they want to message with a business on WhatsApp.
While most individuals use WhatsApp to communicate with friends and relatives, more and more individuals are now reaching out to companies, according to the spokesman.
To further improve transparency, we updated the privacy policy to explain the potential companies may choose to access safe hosting services from Facebook, our parent company, to help manage their customer communications on Whatsapp, the spokesperson said.
The updated privacy policy of WhatsApp, revealed last week, raised questions about the nature of data sharing with Facebook, the parent company.
Privacy experts’ take:
Privacy experts believe that it would encourage the messaging app to communicate with Facebook even more commercial user data.
Based on notifications sent to some Indian users this week, users who do not embrace the revised privacy policy, which comes into effect in February, will not access chats on the site.
What data Whatsapp may share with Facebook:
The user data that WhatsApp may share with its parent firm Facebook may include account registration information (mobile number), transaction details as WhatsApp now have payments bank license in India, service-related information, information about how you communicate with others including firms, information about your IP address and mobile device.
What regulators say:
In more controlled Europe, regulators have attempted to restrict the cross-platform sharing of data by Facebook, but lawmakers have not placed into law anything that prohibits Facebook from aggregating data through its social networks. In India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) is said to be closely looking at the current privacy policy of WhatsApp's encrypted messaging app under which it would share commercial user data with parent Facebook. The guidelines for social media intermediaries, which are in the works, could be redrawn to create protections against such activities.