WhatsApp on Tuesday, January 12, clarified its stance on its new terms of service and privacy policy. The Facebook-owned messaging platform said that the update "doesn't affect privacy of messages with friends of family."
This is second such clarification issued by WhatsApp as it had earlier stated that the update would only affect business accounts.
"We want to address some rumours and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption. Our privacy policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family," WhatsApp tweeted.
We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption. pic.twitter.com/6qDnzQ98MP
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 12, 2021
Further sharing a list of information "NOT shared with Facebook", the messaging platform clarified, "We recently updated our Privacy Policy and we have received many thoughtful questions. With some of the rumours going around, we want to answer some of the common questions we have received. We go to great lengths to build WhatsApp in a way that helps people communicate privately."
Also Read: WhatsApp forces users to accept new terms of service, privacy policy
"We want to be clear that the policy update does not effect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, dis update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data," WhatsApp added.
Our privacy policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family. Learn more about how we protect your privacy as well as what we do NOT share with Facebook here: https://t.co/VzAnxFR7NQ
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 12, 2021
WhatsApp on January 5, started sending in-app notifications to its users in India and other countries, informing them about changes in its new terms of service and privacy policy.
The notification sent to both Android and iOS users is a requisite forcing them to agree to the messaging app's new privacy rules or else loose access to it, which will lead to their accounts getting deleted.
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As per WhatsApp, its new terms of service, as well as privacy policy, will go live on February 8 and if the users want to continue using the app, they will have to accept the company's terms and conditions.
If they don't, they will no longer be able to access their WhatsApp accounts from February 8.