Since rolling out its new terms of service, WhatsApp has been caught in a whirlwind – the changes have precipitated an exodus to alternative apps. Seemingly losing ground in major markets around the world, the Facebook-owned messaging service has now extended the deadline to agree to the new terms and is actively seeking to control the damage it has caused.
WhatsApp’s latest effort to convince users of its naivety is status updates that respond to some rumors that may be circulating (ironically, probably on WhatsApp itself). New stories amplify the same message he tried to send in the last few days: that he cannot read chats or listen to calls and that he does not share contacts with Facebook, among others.
This is not the only way for WhatsApp to put out the fire. In India, WhatsApp’s largest market in terms of number of users, it even bought front page ads in major newspapers that read “WhatsApp respects and protects your privacy” – a purchase that will likely cost dozens of dollars. million rupees, according to Reuters.
Picture: Pratik Sinha
The announcement says the new privacy policy update “does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends and family in any way,” and only affects interactions with businesses. However, like his others clarifications, it doesn’t clarify how much metadata it collects – which is substantial compared to other messaging services.
Image: Forbes
Considering the traction Signal and Telegram have gained in recent days, it wouldn’t be surprising to see WhatsApp spend more on marketing to convince users to stay. But in addition to responding to false rumors and clarifying the data born collect, it would certainly be appreciated if the messaging service was more candid about the data it contains.
