WhatsApp updates terms of use: Messenger now shares data with Facebook
from David Wurm 
on January 07, 2021, 8:55 am | 🔥 popular | 1 comment
WhatsApp is updating its terms of use and privacy policy with the new year 2021. What is particularly noticeable here: The networking with Facebook is now much closer, private metadata is now exchanged between the two services.
Some background knowledge: WhatsApp has been part of Facebook since 2014. As early as 2018, F8 announcedto network both services more closely in the future. The starting shot should now be given soon - users must first agree to the new conditions. Some users already receive a notice in the app that this has to be approved. These apply from February 8, 2021 - those who do not agree can only delete their account and no longer use WhatsApp.
Screenshot: TechnikNews
Jump to section
These are the new conditions
As part of the Facebook Companies, WhatsApp receives information (see here) from and shares information with the Facebook Companies. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to operate, provide, improve, understand, personalize, support, and market our services and/or their offerings, including Facebook Company Products. This includes:
- Support in improving infrastructure and delivery systems,
- Understand how our or their services are used
- Promoting the security and integrity of Facebook company products, in particular securing systems and combating spam, threats, abuse and rights violations,
- Improve their services and your experience using them, including making recommendations for you (such as friend suggestions or groups or interesting content), personalization features and content, assisting in completing purchases and transactions, and displaying relevant offers and advertisements in Facebook Company Products, and
- Providing integrations that enable you to connect your WhatsApp experience with other Facebook Company products. For example, this includes allowing you to use your Facebook Pay account to make payments on WhatsApp or chat with your friends on other Facebook Company products (e.g. Portal) by connecting your WhatsApp account to them.
Source: WhatsApp privacy policy
Exit was possible earlier
When the conditions were last changed in July last year, it was still possible not to share your data with Facebook. This passage has now been deleted, so an opt-out is no longer possible. According to the GDPR in the EU, there must always be this option to exit. It remains to be seen how the EU data protectionists will react to this. Most likely, however, these conditions will take effect as planned from February 8, 2021.
Update: For users from the EU nothing should change if you do not agree to the new conditions. More on this here.
These are more privacy-friendly alternatives
If you want to put an end to this data collection, you have no choice but to delete WhatsApp and Facebook. The best thing to do is to switch to an open source messenger such as Signal or Threema. The latter currently costs just under four euros - this also finances the server costs transparently.
Due to the school (WhatsApp group) I am tied to the messenger. After graduation, the messenger will be exchanged 😉