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WhatsApp updates its Privacy Policy to mandate data-sharing with Facebook

60 points by chris_f 6y ago

paozac 6y ago
We knew this would happen. How long until a mandatory FB account?
graposaymaname 6y ago
Well we all saw this coming. This puts me personally in a very bad state as I can never stop using WhatsApp because of its popularity here(ref. Fax machine problem). It’s almost like essential service.
- egwor 6y ago
  Yeah, this is one of the reasons why I'd be pro splitting up Whatsapp and Facebook/Insta. I don't really follow the monopoly rules, so don't really know when it might be crossing that line. I guess the EU review of these firms will tell us.
  - graposaymaname 6y ago
    Yes me too. I’d be happy to pay for WhatsApp if I had an option to, instead of sharing my data with Facebook. It’s almost like I’m compromising my most personal data for access to essential services and don’t know whether we can call the customer a “king” in this scenario.
- riedel 6y ago
  Interestingly here in Germany you can live in your whatsapp free bubble easily...until you get a child. Everyone I know gave up at this point (at least one parent).
  - PopeDotNinja 6y ago
    Why is that? Children are not permitted to use WhatsApp?
    - solarkraft 6y ago
      Technically nobody is because it forces you to share your contacts' data. Technicality aside no, the issue is that it forces you to use it.
  - teekert 6y ago
    Same in the Netherlands, School WA group, Class WA group (for both children), Sport WA groups (for both children), Children's birthdays WA groups, Family WA groups, Neighborhood WA groups (oh yes, we see this in many streets: [0]) [0]: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatsapp+buurtpreventie&t=ffsb&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.nieuws.nl%2Fmedia%2Fsites%2F305%2F2015%2F12%2F05153708%2Fattentie-whatsapp-buurtpreventie.jpg https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatsapp+buurtpreventie&t=ffsb&iax...
  - graposaymaname 6y ago
    Ah well, here in my country post pandemic almost everything runs on WhatsApp. From Assignments being shared by teachers on school classroom groups to now payments via WhatsApp.
- swiley 6y ago
  At least people will hopefully learn the lesson: promoting un-federated services using closed software will always lead to people getting very hurt no matter how nice the company behind them is.
riedel 6y ago
Luckily this mostly concerns mostly non-EU-citizens ;) ( in the EU Version the list of allowed uses is a lot shorter from what I saw)
vbrandl 6y ago
That might be the nail in the coffin for me, where I will stop using WhatsApp
swiley 6y ago
Holy cow what a surprise that was. I can't believe people were telling me this would never happen.
bluesign 6y ago
I am guessing this is mostly related to Apple's IDFA changes. - First facebook acted to label all their products with "from facebook". - Now this privacy policy change. It even says: "showing relevant offers and ads across the Facebook Company Products"
izolate 6y ago
Unlike most, I praise any move like this that may bring an end to WhatsApp dominance. I'm still bitter at the world for betting on a platform that ties your identity to a phone number (instead of email, which doesn't change as you switch countries).
- kichimi 6y ago
  WhatsApp provides a seamless transition between phone numbers, it's not obvious it does that unless you do it.
  - izolate 6y ago
    Not entirely seamless. It creates a hard-fork of your user account if you choose not to notify others of the number change (effectively cutting you off from contacts). That's only one aspect, however. Most WA features have a diminished experience due to their early design choices centered around a phone (see WA web vs Messenger or Telegram web)
deleted 6y ago
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60 points by chris_f 6y ago

We knew this would happen. How long until a mandatory FB account?

Well we all saw this coming. This puts me personally in a very bad state as I can never stop using WhatsApp because of its popularity here(ref. Fax machine problem). It’s almost like essential service.

egwor 6y ago
Yeah, this is one of the reasons why I'd be pro splitting up Whatsapp and Facebook/Insta. I don't really follow the monopoly rules, so don't really know when it might be crossing that line. I guess the EU review of these firms will tell us.
- graposaymaname 6y ago
  Yes me too. I’d be happy to pay for WhatsApp if I had an option to, instead of sharing my data with Facebook. It’s almost like I’m compromising my most personal data for access to essential services and don’t know whether we can call the customer a “king” in this scenario.
riedel 6y ago
Interestingly here in Germany you can live in your whatsapp free bubble easily...until you get a child. Everyone I know gave up at this point (at least one parent).
- PopeDotNinja 6y ago
  Why is that? Children are not permitted to use WhatsApp?
  - solarkraft 6y ago
    Technically nobody is because it forces you to share your contacts' data. Technicality aside no, the issue is that it forces you to use it.
- teekert 6y ago
  Same in the Netherlands, School WA group, Class WA group (for both children), Sport WA groups (for both children), Children's birthdays WA groups, Family WA groups, Neighborhood WA groups (oh yes, we see this in many streets: [0]) [0]: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatsapp+buurtpreventie&t=ffsb&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.nieuws.nl%2Fmedia%2Fsites%2F305%2F2015%2F12%2F05153708%2Fattentie-whatsapp-buurtpreventie.jpg https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatsapp+buurtpreventie&t=ffsb&iax...
- graposaymaname 6y ago
  Ah well, here in my country post pandemic almost everything runs on WhatsApp. From Assignments being shared by teachers on school classroom groups to now payments via WhatsApp.
swiley 6y ago
At least people will hopefully learn the lesson: promoting un-federated services using closed software will always lead to people getting very hurt no matter how nice the company behind them is.

riedel 6y ago

Luckily this mostly concerns mostly non-EU-citizens ;) ( in the EU Version the list of allowed uses is a lot shorter from what I saw)

vbrandl 6y ago

That might be the nail in the coffin for me, where I will stop using WhatsApp

swiley 6y ago

Holy cow what a surprise that was. I can't believe people were telling me this would never happen.

bluesign 6y ago

I am guessing this is mostly related to Apple's IDFA changes. - First facebook acted to label all their products with "from facebook". - Now this privacy policy change. It even says: "showing relevant offers and ads across the Facebook Company Products"

izolate 6y ago

Unlike most, I praise any move like this that may bring an end to WhatsApp dominance. I'm still bitter at the world for betting on a platform that ties your identity to a phone number (instead of email, which doesn't change as you switch countries).

kichimi 6y ago
WhatsApp provides a seamless transition between phone numbers, it's not obvious it does that unless you do it.
- izolate 6y ago
  Not entirely seamless. It creates a hard-fork of your user account if you choose not to notify others of the number change (effectively cutting you off from contacts). That's only one aspect, however. Most WA features have a diminished experience due to their early design choices centered around a phone (see WA web vs Messenger or Telegram web)

deleted 6y ago

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