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WhatsApp: What the changes to the terms and conditions mean - and what new deadline applies

2021-01-15T21:19:43.448Z


WhatsApp turns its users against itself with a communication disaster, and some migrate. Now the service is responding and postponing a controversial deadline. Answers to the most important questions.


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Messenger WhatsApp: One of the most popular apps ever

Photo: Roman Möbius / imago images

The popular WhatsApp messenger is pulling the rip cord: On Friday evening, the service announced that an important deadline was being extended for all users of the app.

If you use the chat program, you have more time to check and accept new terms of use for the Facebook app.

The speech is in the announcement of May 15, which many interpret as a new deadline without this being explicitly announced.

In response to a request from SPIEGEL, the company said on Friday evening that users would now be given at least three months more time, and possibly longer.

WhatsApp's original ultimatum until February 8th and the associated compulsory approval with no real alternative had caused a stir around the world.

The fear of some Internet users: With the change all dams will break and WhatsApp will share even more data with Facebook.

The protests have now apparently worked.

WhatsApp grants at least an extension of the deadline.

Many people have heard that there is great confusion around the latest update, according to a blog post.

"There is a lot of worrying misinformation, and we want to help everyone understand our principles and facts."

But what's going on with WhatsApp anyway?

And what alternatives are there to the popular messenger?

The answers to the most important questions about the situation.

Why is WhatsApp in the headlines right now?

Currently, users around the world see warning messages when they start WhatsApp.

Messenger encourages users to approve its new Terms of Use, which you can read here, alongside a new privacy policy, which can be found here.

In the social media it is claimed in many places that WhatsApp supposedly wants to share more data with Facebook in Germany in the future so that the advertising of the social network can be played out more specifically and friendship suggestions can be generated from telephone contacts.

Are those claims true?

According to WhatsApp itself, there are no such fundamental changes in Germany.

"Nowhere in the world will there be any changes in the way WhatsApp shares user data," said a spokeswoman when asked by SPIEGEL.

However, you have to know that WhatsApp has been sharing some data with Facebook for years, such as phone numbers and device IDs as well as usage information ("when you last used WhatsApp", as an example on this explanation page).

Alexandra Dmitrienko from the University of Würzburg told SPIEGEL that this data was important for Facebook to identify users.

According to the IT professor, the data are interesting "because a massive social graph can be developed by aggregating all data from the subsidiaries."

Are there the same rules for all countries?

WhatsApp has different rule sets for the "European Region" and other countries that can easily be confused by building the WhatsApp website.

In contrast to the rest of the world, Facebook says it does not use WhatsApp data in Europe and Great Britain to improve products or advertising on the social network.

Among other things, this is prohibited by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

You still do not do that, said the WhatsApp spokeswoman.

How well does WhatsApp explain its rules?

Anyone who clicks through WhatsApp's guidelines and information pages quickly loses perspective.

Here you have to say: WhatsApp fails to explain its guidelines and the changes that have now been made to its users in an understandable way - so it is hardly surprising that rumors are also making the rounds.

And the world of WhatsApp rules is pretty darn complex.

According to an explanatory page, for example, WhatsApp data is shared within the Facebook group of companies "in order to benefit from services in the areas of infrastructure, technology and systems."

It also says: "Currently, Facebook does not use your WhatsApp account information to improve your product experience on Facebook or to show you more interesting Facebook ads."

If you click on the word “Facebook company” on the same page, you read there: “We may share information about you within our group of companies in order to facilitate, support and integrate various activities - and of course to provide our services further improve. ”Data is therefore sent to several subsidiaries, for example to Facebook Payments, to Facebook Technologies, which is responsible for the subsidiary brand Oculus, and to the analysis tool CrowdTangle.

All this goes too far for the Hamburg data protection officer Johannes Caspar.

At "Heise Online" he demands that the Irish EU data protection authority initiate an investigation.

Why should I agree to new rules when supposedly nothing changes?

In addition to some formulations, one point in particular has changed: WhatsApp is expanding the chat function between customers and companies.

It says, for example: »We always strive to provide you, companies and other organizations with even better ways of communicating with one another via our services, for example information on orders, transactions and appointments, delivery and shipping notifications, product and service updates and Marketing."

According to a Facebook announcement from October, companies could also use WhatsApp chats with customers for marketing purposes - including advertising on Facebook.

Do I have to accept the new guidelines?

Yes, if you want to continue using WhatsApp, there is no getting around it, at least that's how it was communicated so far: Anyone who refuses to press the consent button should no longer be able to use the messenger from February 8th.

It remains to be seen whether WhatsApp will also apply this rule for May 15th or a later deadline.

Will Facebook soon be able to read my WhatsApp messages?

No.

WhatsApp points out that the short messages between users are secured with end-to-end encryption.

This means that the messages are coded at the sender and only decrypted again at the recipient.

Nobody can join the conversation.

Like user chats, video chat content is also not visible, says WhatsApp - neither for WhatsApp nor for Facebook.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp notes in its privacy policy regarding messages that go to companies: »If you exchange messages with a company on WhatsApp, you should be absolutely aware that the content of these messages can be visible to several people in this company.

In addition, some companies work with third-party providers (including Facebook) who help them communicate with their customers. "

more on the subject

  • Policy adjustment for chat app: WhatsApp competitors report strong influx

  • Messenger service: Accept or be locked out - Confusion about new WhatsApp guidelinesBy Markus Böhm

  • Regulation of messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram and Co. should issue inventory data by Max Hoppenstedt and Marcel Rosenbach

Can I prevent my WhatsApp data from being forwarded?

Yes, even if you missed the 30-day exit opportunity in September 2016.

The GDPR enables all users in Europe to determine their data.

However, this is extremely time-consuming and involves a lot of bureaucracy.

WhatsApp requires, among other things, an exact description of the data processing that you want to contradict.

In addition, the Facebook company wants to know exactly in which rights and freedoms one feels impaired.

WhatsApp reserves the right to check and reject the objection if the reason is insufficient.

How many users are switching to the competition now?

On Facebook, one should have noticed with concern that, for example, Tesla boss Elon Musk and whistleblower Edward Snowden are advising to switch to Messenger.

In any case, the growth of the app has slowed down for the time being: WhatsApp has fallen from twelfth place of the most popular free apps to 45th place in the Google Play Store in the past two weeks.

The downloads have shrunk in the first seven days of this year by 11 percent compared to the previous week to about 10.5 million.

WhatsApp even felt compelled to start a campaign to appease the unsettled users after its communication debacle surrounding the terms of use - and ultimately even to extend the deadline.

Meanwhile, competitors like Threema, Telegram and Signal are gaining popularity.

What do experts recommend to unsettled users?

WhatsApp is not the first choice when privacy is important.

However, one should not act rashly.

Alexandra Dmitrienko says: "As an insecure user, you shouldn't rush to switch to the next best messenger." The computer science professor recommends that you first get an overview of the available services.

"Above all, aspects such as data collection or data protection should be the focus when switching."

Which messenger is suitable as an alternative?

WhatsApp still has one big advantage: With more than two billion users, Messenger is by far the most popular.

There you have the best chance to reach your friends or relatives.

However, for example, Signal scores points when it comes to data protection, says Alexandra Dmitrienko, since the messenger's open-source software can be checked easily (similar to Threema).

With WhatsApp and Telegram you cannot understand whether the information is correct.

With a view to the subject of privacy, switching from WhatsApp to Signal would have been worthwhile even before the change in guidelines, says the software security expert.

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Source: spiegel

All tech articles on 2021-01-15

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