Hong Kong privacy watchdog urges WhatsApp to pump brakes on policy changes, offer alternatives for users
- WhatsApp has informed its more than 2 billion users that they will need to agree to a new policy allowing it to share data with its parent company, Facebook
- The move has prompted concerns about how the data might be used, but WhatsApp maintains the information collected will not include the content of messages
Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog on Monday urged WhatsApp to delay a February 8 deadline for users to agree to controversial new terms – namely having their personal data shared with its parent company Facebook – or face being blocked from key features on the messaging service.
Defending its privacy policy, WhatsApp has insisted “no additional data” other than what it already collects will be shared with Facebook under the change. But many of the city’s users have nonetheless switched, or are considering switching, to other alternatives such as Telegram and Signal.
More than 2 billion WhatsApp users received a notification last week stating that information on the messaging platform would be shared with Facebook under its new terms and policy, while businesses would be able to use Facebook services to store WhatsApp data.
A WhatsApp spokeswoman told the Post that if users refused to agree to the updates by the deadline, they could still receive calls and see message notifications, but would not be able to use basic functions such as sending messages, photos and videos, or making calls.
“As part of the Facebook companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, the other Facebook companies,” the new privacy policy states.
“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, customise, support, and market our services and their offerings.”
