WhatsApp Will Deactivate Your Account If You Don't Agree To Share Data With Facebook

WhatsApp has issued a statement in a new update to its Privacy Policy, saying it will disable your account if you do not agree to share your user data with Facebook.

WhatsApp, the messaging platform owned by Facebook, has announced it will be implementing the new Privacy Policy globally by February 8, 2021.

The Facebook-owned instant messaging service is saying that WhatsApp will now be sharing user data with other Facebook companies.

Some of the data WhatsApp says it will collect from you and share with third parties include; your interactions on the platform, account registration information, transaction data, phone model, OS, IP address, mobile network, ISP, location data, battery level, signal strength, browser, language, time zone and not leaving out IMEI and other data collected based on users' consent.

“We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings.”

WhatsApp users who refuse to accept the new Terms of service and Privacy Policy by February 8, 2021 will be barred from using the service and their profiles deactivated. After 120 days of inactivity, WhatsApp will permanently delete the accounts as part of its efforts to "maintain security, limit data retention, and protect the privacy of our users."

While most of us would all probably bid goodbye to end to end encryption on the messaging service, WhatsApp users in the European Union are however exempted from the revised terms of service and privacy policy. Due to tighter privacy legislation better known as GDPR, the WhatsApp users in 27 European countries will not have their data shared with third parties.

Meanwhile, millions of WhatsApp users including prominent celebrities worldwide are already ditching the app for other secure instant messaging apps such as Signal.

The Signal messenger provides the same robust encryption engine with a much more transparent privacy policy and terms of service. Besides the encrypted chats it provides, Signal also offers encrypted audio and video calls.

Elon Musk who recently surpassed Jeff Bezos to become the richest man in the world, earlier showed a strong support for Signal, when he tweeted his followers and enjoined them to boycott WhatsApp by using Signal.

Use Signal

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2021

Read More

WhatsApp To Grant Nigerian Government Access To Users Calls and Chats

Reactions are trailing a current speculation that WhatsApp is granting the Nigerian government access to Nigerian users' data.

There have been a loud outburst of reactions as regards the speculations. While some argue that there is no possibility that Nigerian government would be able to access Users' personal data including chats and call as the Social network offers end to end encryption, others pointed out that the Facebook, the owner of WhatsApp, once sold out millions of users data as revealed in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Amid the growing concern, neither WhatsApp nor the Nigerian government have either confirmed or denied the speculations.

Checkout the tweets on the speculations below.

Dear @WhatsApp, is it true you’ve given the Nigerian Govt access to our calls and messages?

You’ll have to reply this message for your subscribers in Nigeria.

— Henry Shield (@henryshield) December 16, 2019

Whatsapp, facebook, & instagram have granted d Nigerian government access to all users in Nigeria. If you still have facebook app installed on ur phone, that means u no longer have any privacy. Facebook is monitoring all ur moves, collecting ur datas & giving dem to FGN.

— Green Eshiet Daniel (@greenaetion) December 16, 2019

Even if its true, how many peoples WhatsApp chat they wan read, no be when they get ya number they fit read your messages.?

1st of all run a 2 step verification on ur WhatsApp, 2ndly use Yowhatsapp not the main version of whatapp, use WhatsApp modds.

— Onye Ana Agba Nkili 1 Na Obosi (@naijaplayboi) December 16, 2019

if they haven't started. I have a friend that works deep in telecommunications companies, I have noticed he doesn't say some specific words. Either he changes the spelling or he circumvents the correct words. And he keeps warning me whenever I use those words.

Stay frosty

— Leo pantro (@Leopantro) December 16, 2019

Facebook is the owner of WhatsApp.

If they could sell PRIVATE information of the US citizens to cambridge analytica and other companies, I don't know why they would care a flying bird about Nigerians.

Can't trust them. My Facebook account mostly deactivated lately

— Gbemi Ola (@gbemiro) December 16, 2019

If I confirm it to be true, I will just get a virtual Canada number for WhatsApp, and set my Android phone to use same Canada IP address with VPN. Simple as ABC. I would rather Canada have access to my privacy than Nigerian government.

— Samuel. O Williams © (@iamOvox) December 16, 2019

Telegram is even better than WhatsApp. So, if WhatsApp do anyhow, them go see anyhow. We move to Telegram!

— ѕαmσdαudu™ (@samodaudu) December 16, 2019

Telegram is even better than WhatsApp. So, if WhatsApp do anyhow, them go see anyhow. We move to Telegram!

— ѕαmσdαudu™ (@samodaudu) December 16, 2019

I wonder why this all-important question should only get 2k retweets. Let's push @WhatsApp until they respond.@WhatsApp Please confirm to us if the Nigerian Government indeed have access to our chats. We deserve to know. Don't we?

— AJMorgan™ (@ajeromorgan) December 16, 2019

Let us know what you think about this development in the comment section of this post below.

Read More

WhatsApp Is Introducing Advertisements On Mobile Apps

As we all know, we have been running an ad-free WhatsApp since the social media platform was introduced in 2009. Things are however about to change as WhatsApp - the world's most popular third-party instant messaging app, plans to introduce adverts on their platform come next year 2020.

The plan was made announced during Facebook's recent Marketing Summit which held in Rotterdam. Facebook, who also own WhatsApp, have announced that they will commence running advertisements on WhatsApp next year 2020. 

It was pointed out at the summit that WhatsApp's Status feature will be displaying adverts when users try to view their contacts' status updates. There has been no confirmation to whether ads will appear as pop-ups or as slides or as suggested sponsored content as we have on Instagram Stories.

Be that as it may, as we go through the status updates of our WhatsApp contacts from next year, we should ready our minds to see advertisements which will fill up our screen space. But we might however be able to swipe up to view the contents on the adverts just as we do on Instagram.

We might be left to wonder if this could possibly mean the end of free WhatsApp. What other options could possibly replace this instant messaging giant effectively?

What do you think about this new update; Should we welcome this development? Kindly let us know by dropping your comments in the comment section below.

Read More