In the back of our minds we knew it would happen sooner or later. The instant messaging service WhatsApp maintains a strict zero advertising policy, but somehow it must serve the interests of its current owner Facebook, which leads us to a recent update in its terms of use that enables the sending of data by WhatsApp to Facebook, with the aim of improving our experience on the social network. Logically, this sending is "opt-out", meaning you must deactivate it on your own. Here we will tell you how.
WhatsApp and Facebook, Facebook and WhatsApp. For the general public there are still certain differences between both services, but behind the curtain we know it's not really like that. Facebook paid 19 billion dollars for WhatsApp and definitely wants to obtain a tangible benefit from such an investment. It was a matter of time before Facebook's "vision" began to affect WhatsApp's standard operation, and that's how we find ourselves with an update in the messenger's terms of use. If in the last few hours you received an update notice from WhatsApp, when opening the app or its settings section you will be intercepted by the new copy with the modified terms. If you press "Accept" without expanding the text, you won't see a certain box with a checkmark in it...
Essentially, WhatsApp will begin sharing information with Facebook. According to WhatsApp's official announcement, the change will allow the reception of "basic data" that will help optimize the messenger and better combat spam, something I'm seeing very frequently. On Facebook's side, the additional data will make the social network able to present better friend suggestions, and more personalized advertising. The real problem... is that Facebook said two years ago that it would not do this. It's not the first time a corporation changes its mind, and it won't be the last, but the pattern certainly bores users.
Fortunately, the messenger offers some level of "opt-out". Those who pressed "Accept" in the new terms of use can go to Settings, then Account, and there remove the checkmark in "Share my account information", but they have a margin of 30 days to do so. In all cases, WhatsApp assures that chats and the mobile number will "no" be shared with Facebook... although nothing prevents them from waiting a while in silence and doing it anyway.
