The recently announced changes to the privacy policy of instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, has resulted in considerable backlash for the company, and its owner Facebook. In the coming weeks and months, the company may have to rethink the proposed changes, but there are some insights from which we can learn.

 

Over the past few weeks, there has been an uproar among WhatsApp users, due to changes in the privacy policy for the application, which were supposed to take effect on 8 February 2021. Generally, there was widespread criticism of the policy changes, which appear to give Facebook, WhatsApp’s parent company, more access to WhatsApp users’ personal data and the content of the conversations and chats had on that platform.

However, over the past several days, WhatsApp executives has been trying to reassure the public that the policy changes are minor. Facebook cannot access the texts or calls on WhatsApp, thanks to the end-to-end encryption, and neither are user contacts shared with the Facebook. Nevertheless, WhatsApp has decided to push back the effective date of the new policy to 15 May 2021, which hopefully would allow them time to do some much-needed damage control.

Although many WhatsApp users have abandoned that platform in favour of other instant messaging services, such as Signal and Telegram – which is their right to do – we see this situation as a learning opportunity. In the paragraphs below, we outline three key takeaways we had about this latest Facebook/WhatsApp development.

 

1.  Communication is key

As it stands, there seems to be a varying interpretations about what the imminent policy changes entail. Some reports stated that WhatsApp will now force people using the app to hand over their personal data to Facebook. Other reports suggested that Facebook would be allowed to mine WhatsApp users’ chats for marketing purposes and to share with its partners.

Although those accounts are not accurate, for all intents and purposes, the damage has been done. There has been considerable uproar, including the Indian government asking Facebook to withdraw the new privacy policy, and the company taking the position to delay implementation of the policy. Ultimately, and noting how the situation unfolded, it would appear that Facebook/WhatsApp did not manage the communication and the messaging of the policy changes well, which has reportedly resulted in people leaving the platform in droves.

 

2.  A growing sensitivity about privacy among Internet users

Truthfully, most of us do not read the terms of use and privacy policy of the digital platforms we use. We tend to blindly agree to the terms and conditions, and move on to enjoy the features and services the platform offers. Innately, there may be an appreciation that in order to access a platform, we will have to cede some of our privacy to the platform. In other words, we cannot be completely anonymous and use their services.

However, in a world of virtual assistants (Siri and Alexa, for example), Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc., many of us have had the experience of doing a search for an item, or talking to someone about an item, and ads or information on the same item start to appear when we are browsing online.  So if you are using your smartphone, or a smart device is nearby, you may not be able to say with full confidence that those devices are not listening or tracking what you are doing.

Having said this, increasingly we are tethered to technology and to the Internet, and so are (almost) continuously connected. However, and as much as we might not want to be unconnected, we want to be able to control our own narrative and how much the world knows about us and our circle.

 

2.  Heightened distrust for Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg

Finally, and as the largest social network globally, it is not surprising that Facebook might have a target on its back. It is so big, and has so much power, it appears easy for it to manipulate and leverage its position for its own gains. Additionally, Facebook has been notorious for playing fast and loose with their subscribers’ personal data – especially, as it tried to figure out how to generate revenue from the platform. Scandals, such as Cambridge Analytica, along with former colleges and associates of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, expressing concern about the company, have made people even more wary.

It is thus perhaps through this lens that we ought to view the changes in WhatsApp privacy policy: that we are wary of Facebook and how our data will be used, regardless of what the policy says. However, a frequently overlooked point is in 2016, a policy change was made to allow WhatsApp to share limited information with Facebook. Also at that time, users were given the option to not allow Facebook to use their WhatsApp data for commercial purposes. The provision did not mean that Facebook would not have access to users’ information, such as the device phone numbers, how often the app is opened, the resolution of the device screen, among other thing. However, if users chose otherwise, Facebook could not use that data for commercial purposes.

However, cognisant of the trust issues people have with Facebook, the question many people might asking is: for those who opted out of Facebook being able their data for commercial purposes whether in fact, Facebook complied and continues to comply? Such is the nature of the distrust many people have for Facebook, that to varying degrees, all of its sister products/subsidiary platforms, which includes the much-loved Instagram, tend to also feel the pinch.

 

 

Image credit:  Facebook;  Apple iTunes