Since launching its new terms of service, WhatsApp has been caught in a whirlwind – the changes have precipitated an exodus to alternative apps. Apparently losing ground in major markets around the world, Facebook’s proprietary messaging service has passed the deadline to accept the new terms and is actively seeking to control the damage that has been caused by them.
WhatsApp’s most recent effort to convince users of its ingenuity is with status updates that address some rumors that may be circulating (ironically, probably on WhatsApp itself). The new stories amplify the same message you’ve been trying to send in the last few days: that you can’t read chats or hear calls and that you don’t share contacts with Facebook, among other things.
This is not the only way that WhatsApp is trying 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 said “WhatsApp respects and protects your privacy” – a purchase that probably cost tens of millions of rupees, according to Reuters.
Image: Pratik Sinha
The ad states that the new privacy policy update “does not affect the privacy of your messages with your friends and family in any way” and that it only refers to interactions with companies. However, similar to your others clarifications, it does not clarify the amount of metadata it collects – which is substantial compared to other messaging services.
Image: Forbes
Seeing the strength that Signal and Telegram have gained in the past few days, it wouldn’t be surprising to see WhatsApp spending more on marketing to convince users to stay. But in addition to addressing false rumors and clarifying what data, not collect, it would definitely be appreciated if the messaging service was more direct about the data it makes.
