Millions of Whatsapp users have taken the extreme measure of abandoning the app ahead of a privacy policy update that will force them to share their data with Facebook.
The update, which will be released on February 8, affects WhatsApp users in all countries outside of Europe and the UK, where there are strict data protection laws.
Users in these areas will be expected to give their permission for Facebook to access their data, including their phone numbers and information about how they communicate with others to continue using the app.
The requirement will apply regardless of whether or not the WhatsApp user has a Facebook account.
The news has led countless people to jump ship to competing apps, according to data from Sensor Tower.
When the privacy policy changes were announced on January 7, Telegram picked up approximately 1.7 million downloads and Signal gained 1.2 million downloads, while WhatsApp, which normally dominates, gained just 1.3 million downloads.
WhatsApp installations also fell about 13 per cent to 10.3 million downloads in the first seven days of January, compared to the seven days prior.
WhatsApp first alerted users to the new privacy policy changes in a notification last week.
The privacy policy explains that as part of the Facebook Companies, WhatsApp gets information from, and shares information with, the other Facebook Companies and it says that they may use the information they get from them, and they may use the information they share with them, to better operate, implement, develop, learn, customise, support, and market their services and their offerings, including the Facebook Company Products.
This means Facebook will now be able to access account information including your phone number, information on how you communicate with other users, and logs of how frequently and how long you use WhatsApp.
Other data that could be shared with Facebook includes your IP address, browser details, language and time zone.
WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in 2014 and has shared data with its parent company since 2016.
WhatsApp offered a one time opt-out for data sharing in 2016, but now users are being forced to agree to the privacy policy to continue using the app.
Many furious WhatsApp users have taken to Twitter to announce their departure from the app, in light of the new privacy policy.
One person said that they’d just deleted WhatsApp and Instagram from their phone because their new terms and conditions freaked them out, and people are also saying that people should drop their Facebook and Twitter accounts, also Apple too.
And that no one should be on Facebook because their oppressors will go after anyone who doesn’t adhere to their wishes and that everyone should drop any affiliation with Facebook and its subsidiary companies.
Leaving WhatsApp isn’t a drastic step, it’s the sensible choice.
However, even though these are wise words, people put themselves at risk every day because they’re posting and giving out information about themselves every second of the day – if people want privacy, they should get off their phones and all of these platforms, but then social media is the opium of the masses.
And it’s not just Facebook, it’s everything you download and every web page you look at, it’s scary stuff, so perhaps we should just stop using social media and try communicating with real people.
But then every time you leave the house to go shopping a camera somewhere will be recording you. The minute you have a bank account or mobile phone there’s data on you – we can’t have privacy now because we live in an age of technology.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 