Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp is delaying an update aimed at increasing businesstransactions on the platform after a storm of concern from users who fearedthat the messaging platform was watering down its privacy policy in theprocess.WhatsApp users received notification this month that it was preparing a newprivacy policy and terms, and it reserved the right to share some user datawith the Facebook app.
That sparked global outcries and a rush of new users to competitor privatemessaging apps including Telegram and Signal.
WhatsApp on Friday said it would delay the new policy launch to May fromFebruary, that the update was focused on allowing users to message withbusinesses, and that the update does not affect personal conversations,which will continue to have end-to-end encryption.
“This update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook,” itsaid in a statement.“While not everyone shops with a business on WhatsApp today, we think thatmore people will choose to do so in the future and it’s important peopleare aware of these services,” it said.No log of messages or callsFacebook has been rolling out business tools on WhatsApp over the past yearas it moves to boost revenue from higher-growth units like WhatsApp andInstagram while knitting together e-commerce infrastructure across thecompany.Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014 but has been slow tomonetize it.
The app already shares certain categories of personal data, including theuser’s phone number and IP address, with Facebook.
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“We don’t keep logs of who everyone’s messaging or calling. We also can’tsee your shared location and we don’t share your contacts with Facebook,”it said.
WhatsApp said in October that it would start to offer in-app purchases viaFacebook Shops and would offer firms who use its customer service messagingtools the ability to store those messages on Facebook servers.
WhatsApp said at the time that chats with a business using the new hostingservice would not be protected by the app’s end-to-end encryption.
