WHATSAPP’S PRIVACY SETTINGS have recently changed as most of you have already noticed this as a pop-up when you tried opening your WhatsApp application. As per the new Privacy updates of WhatsApp, your WhatsApp Account Information will be shared with the parent company Facebook. This will allow Facebook to run analytics on your activity and serve targeted ads to you and improve the messaging platform as well.
But many people are annoyed that some of their most personal information – their chats – could potentially be compromised as part of the new account information sharing terms with Facebook.
Thankfully, there is a way to opt out of this. But it has to be done quickly as the WhatsApp’s opt-out period is only 30 days long, i.e., upto 25th September, 2016. So, if you don’t want your WhatsApp account information to be shared with Facebook, opt out now before the window closes.
WhatsApp keeps the privacy policy change somewhat hidden, but there are two options to opt out which will work inside both the Android and iOS apps.
1) Read the Terms and Conditions in the Pop-up
The first way can only be done if you haven’t accepted the new terms yet, using the pop-up that will emerge when you open WhatsApp. If you haven’t, wait until that happens – but don’t click “Agree” – instead navigate to the smaller “read more” option, and untick the box that says “Share my WhatsApp account information with Facebook”.
2) In Your WhatsApp Settings
If you’ve already accepted the new terms, you can still opt out, as long as it’s within 30 days (until 25th September, 2016). You can do this by heading to the settings menu in the app, and then to the Account tab – where you’ll find a “Share my account info with Facebook” option at the bottom that you can untick and revoke your permission.
It isn’t clear that opting out of the new privacy terms will change the user experience, either when compared with people who are still having their data shared with Facebook, or with before WhatsApp introduced this change. WhatsApp says that the new change is meant only to help improve the ads on Facebook, so the only possible consequence is that what you see on the Facebook (Ads) might be slightly less relevant.