WhatsApp recently updated its privacy policy, with users being notified that their data would be shared with Facebook and other companies. Although people may drop out for now, this will become a mandatory requirement to be accepted after February 8. The service received a lot of criticism for the change, especially considering that it said that such a thing would not happen when it was acquired by Facebook in 2014. Prominent figures, including Elon Musk is now urging the public to move to Signal, like platform having a huge increase in new registrations.
Now, Microsoft’s social media team also scoffed at the fiasco and recommended that users switch to Skype.
In a tweet from the official Skype account, Microsoft boasted that it keeps users’ personal data private and does not share it with third parties:
Skype respects your privacy. We are committed to keeping your personal data private and do not sell it to third parties: https://t.co/FLGwMmSNHv pic.twitter.com/dupbfejr7m
– Skype (@Skype) January 8, 2021
In addition, the URL points to Microsoft’s privacy policy statement, which describes the types of data the company collects from users and how they are used. It is a long page that most people will ignore, but it is recommended that you read it if you are really thinking about migrating from WhatsApp for privacy reasons.
Despite all the reaction, it seems a little unlikely that WhatsApp will reverse the course. The company probably anticipated this feedback and is probably betting on the fury to decline in the coming weeks.