Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
WhatsApp, a universal messaging application, has been a staple name since it released for mobile devices roughly a decade ago. Since then, WhatsApp has seen quite the evolution, including its acquisition by Facebook. To this day, WhatsApp remains one of the most popular messaging services, but users may be turned off by a new update to the app. Soon, WhatsApp will begin forcing players to share their data with Facebook.
An announcement was sent to users on Wednesday, January 6 detailing the upcoming change. WhatsApp will soon be allowing Facebook and its subsidiaries to collect personal data from users. This includes phone numbers, locations, contacts, and more. What’s even more concerning, users do not have the option to opt out of the data collection. If WhatsApp users don’t agree to the new terms by February 8, they’ll lose access to the service.
It’s quite troubling, especially when WhatsApp’s biggest selling point was that it was an encrypted messaging service that offered more privacy than most other digital communication methods. In light of this news, users are already looking for alternatives. A coluple of names that keeps popping up are that of Telegram and Signal.
This is just the latest in a long string of actions that exemplifies troubling behavior in regards to user privacy from Facebook. Just last month, the FTC announced that it would be suing Facebook along with 46 other American states over illegal monopolization. The company’s acquisition of WhatsApp was cited as one of the reasons behind the lawsuit.
It’s yet to be seen how profound of an impact this decision will have on WhatsApp’s user base, or if Facebook could potentially roll back the new changes if given enough backlash from users. If and when further updates come, you can expect to read about them right here on Shacknews.