WhatsApp updates privacy policy, asks users to accept terms of service to continue using app

 The Facebook-owned messaging app started trending on Twitter soon after users reported getting the message about its changed policies.

WhatsApp users in India and other countries woke up to an in-app notification about its new terms of service and privacy policy. The company informed users about the changes made in the privacy policy and terms of service. Some users had started getting the notification on late Tuesday morning but a lot of users were greeted with the WhatsApp notification first thing in the morning. The Facebook-owned messaging app started trending on Twitter soon after users reported getting the message about its changed policies.

“WhatsApp is updating its terms and privacy policy,” the notification that is sent to Android and iOS users by the company read. Some of the key updates would include how WhatsApp processes the user's data. “How businesses can use Facebook hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats and How we( WhatsApp) partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the Facebook Company Products,” the WhatsApp notification read.

WhatsApp’s new term of service and privacy policy will go live on February 8, 2020. In order to continue using the services, users will have to accept the terms and conditions. If the users do not accept the new terms of service they will no longer be able to use the app from February 8.

WhatsApp has also updated its privacy policies on its website and given a detailed overview of how the app will change.”Our Services have optional features which, if used by you, require us to collect additional information to provide such features. You will be notified of such a collection, as appropriate. If you choose not to provide the information needed to use a feature, you will be unable to use the feature. For example, you cannot share your location with your contacts if you do not permit us to collect your location data from your device. Permissions can be managed through your Settings menu on both Android and iOS devices,” WhatsApp wrote.

WhatsApp also explained how much of the data is collected automatically by the messaging app. “We collect information about your activity on our Services, like service-related, diagnostic, and performance information. This includes information about your activity (including how you use our Services, your Services settings, how you interact with others using our Services (including when you interact with a business), and the time, frequency, and duration of your activities and interactions), log files, and diagnostic, crash, website, and performance logs and reports,” WhatsApp wrote.

“This also includes information about when you registered to use our Services; the features you use like our messaging, calling, Status, groups (including group name, group picture, group description), payments or business features; profile photo, "about" information; whether you are online when you last used our Services (your "last seen"); and when you last updated your "about" information,” it added.