WhatsApp began using status messages to remind its users of the messaging service’s “commitment to your privacy” after the recent confusion over changes to its privacy policy last month.
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“WhatsApp is now in Status”, the message begins. “We will notify you of new features and updates here. One thing that is not new is our commitment to your privacy. WhatsApp cannot read or listen to your personal conversations, as they are encrypted from end to end. Stay tuned for more updates!”
Stories in the Stories-style app began appearing over the weekend for users in the U.S. and the UK, while users in India have been receiving messages for longer. In a statement given to The Verge, WhatsApp explained the reasoning behind the change:
“There was a lot of misinformation and confusion surrounding our recent update and we want to help everyone understand the facts behind how WhatsApp protects people’s privacy and security,” a WhatsApp spokesman told The Verge. “From now on, we will provide updates to people on the Status tab so people can hear directly from WhatsApp. Our first update reaffirms that WhatsApp cannot see your personal messages, nor Facebook, because they are protected from end to end. encryption. “
WhatsApp announced its new terms of use at the beginning of last month, and changes at the time suggested that WhatsApp would share additional data with Facebook, such as phone number, service-related information, IP address and transaction data. Since then, WhatsApp has made it clear that the update does not affect data sharing with Facebook in terms of user chats or profile information, with the new terms applying to those using the corporate chat feature.
Through posts on social networks, WhatsApp has assured users that updating its privacy policy does not affect the privacy of messages. He also added to his FAQ to address user privacy issues related to data sharing with Facebook.
However, this has not prevented an exodus of millions of users of the service to rival messaging apps like Telegram and Signal, who were quick to exploit the situation to their advantage.
Since then, Telegram has added the ability for users to import their WhatsApp chat history so they don’t miss out on old conversations, while Signal recently received an update containing several new features clearly designed to attract former WhatsApp users.
Due to the confusion, WhatsApp says it has chosen to postpone the new privacy policy changes for three months, but is not canceling them.