♂️Accept or Leave: WhatsApp's Privacy Policy

WhatsApp continues to push forward with controversial changes to its terms of service, but has altered the way it notifies users following negative reactions.

Users who do not accept the new rules by May 15 will be unable to read or send messages. However, calls and notifications will remain accessible. These "semi-active" profiles will be deleted after 120 days.

The new WhatsApp policy is intended to facilitate the exchange of messages sent by users to business accounts via Facebook, for the purpose of ad personalization. WhatsApp does not display ads, so monetization will follow the model of the Chinese app WeChat, using business tools for customer service and support.

Since 2016, WhatsApp has been sending IP addresses, phone information, and details about purchases made through the platform to Facebook. However, this does not apply in the EU and the UK due to privacy laws. We do not have such laws here, so the final decision rests with the users.

According to the Law on Regulation of Digital Technologies, signed in June 2020, the MCRIAP is the authorized body for personal data protection. The collection and processing of personal data by third parties are carried out only with the consent of the data subject.

The law is clear: your data is your responsibility. But where is the line between the inviolability of personal data and helping small businesses?

Amid the confusion, competitors such as Signal and Telegram are seeing a growth in user numbers, as noted in our review published in January. Telegram has added the ability to import chats from WhatsApp. WhatsApp has reminded users that Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption by default. Despite this, 25 million users migrated to Durov's app in January alone.

The unclear business models of WhatsApp's competitors concern privacy-conscious individuals. It is obvious that Facebook sells user data in exchange for a free service. It remains unclear how Telegram and Signal monetize their services if they lack advertising revenue. On the other hand, Telegram might launch its own business version to attract commercial accounts considering leaving the Facebook ecosystem. However, achieving this will be difficult given the current integration of the service with Instagram, through which a significant volume of online purchases currently takes place.