More than a billion people use WhatsApp, a messaging app, which has revealed that it will begin sharing some user data with Facebook, which bought WhatsApp back in 2014. WhatsApp claims that this modification is being made so that businesses can combat spam and abuse and users can receive tailored advertisements. Even if stopping spam and abuse is crucial, the majority of users will never be comfortable with WhatsApp sharing their data with Facebook.
While there isn’t a way to totally prevent WhatsApp and Facebook from sharing your data, there is a way to only partially opt out of this policy. Please take note that there is absolutely no way to entirely opt-out; this is merely a partial opt-out. Only Facebook ad targeting will be prevented by partial opt-out. The only way to entirely opt out of using WhatsApp is to stop using it altogether, which is not an option for everyone. I’ll explain how to partially opt out of having your data shared between Facebook and WhatsApp in this article.
Opt Out from WhatsApp Data Sharing: T&C Page
You will be prompted to accept WhatsApp’s new Terms and Conditions when you launch the app. Except for those who are overly suspicious, very few people read this page. To prevent WhatsApp from sharing some of your data with Facebook, use these steps instead:
- When you are presented with the screen to agree to the updated Terms and Conditions, don t simply tap on Agree , instead, tap on the disclosure arrow on the bottom right of the screen.
- At the bottom of the screen, you will notice a checkbox with accompanying text. Uncheck this checkbox if you want to opt-out of data sharing, and then tap on Agree .
Note:While WhatsApp claims that your chats and phone number won’t be shared with Facebook regardless of this option, it’s possible that Facebook may still receive access to your chats and number. In legal situations, sentence construction is extremely important. Additionally, the prompts are gradually going out to everyone, so sooner or later you should see it.
Opt Out from WhatsApp Data Sharing: The Second Way
I’m not criticising you if, after receiving the update, you acted quickly and clicked Agree as soon as the Terms and Conditions page appeared. Generally speaking, that is what people do. But don’t worry—there is still an option for you to reject WhatsApp’s data-sharing policy.
Note:After you initially accept the new Terms and Conditions, you will only have 30 days to opt out using this method.
- In WhatsApp, tap on the 3 dot menu button to show the overflow menu, and tap on Settings .
- Tap on Account . In the Account settings, you can uncheck the checkbox that says Share my account info .
SEE ALSO:6 Best Alternatives to WhatsApp
Opt Out of WhatsApp s Data Sharing Policy: Get Security and Privacy Conscious
If this abrupt change in WhatsApp’s policy has taught us anything, it’s that no data you give with third parties today is ever in your hands. The adage “If it’s free, you are the product” is applicable in particular to services like WhatsApp, which will now permit businesses to potentially contact consumers. Actually, I’m not opposed to advertisements per se, but granting them access to consumer messaging data is something I have disliked in text messages and will likely dislike in WhatsApp as well. We shouldn’t ever be subjected to advertisements on a platform that we use to interact and communicate with our loved ones.
As always, we are interested in hearing your thoughts on this significant modification to WhatsApp’s Terms and Conditions. Please feel free to leave us a comment in the space below if you have any more opinions about WhatsApp, Facebook, or data sharing rules in general.
