WhatsApp to share your data with Facebook: What you need to know

• WhatsApp users have started receiving pop-up notification for the update

• The new terms and policies will be effective starting February 8, 2021

WhatsApp has updated its privacy policy globally and made it mandatory for users to either accept the terms and conditions or delete their account. The update has been released to both Android and iOS users in India, so if you haven’t yet got an in-app notification, you are likely to receive it soon.

The new policy includes information about WhatsApp’s services and how the company process user’s data. It also sheds light on how WhatsApp uses Facebook hosted services to store and manage chats on the platform.

But, the biggest highlight of the update is that WhatsApp will now share its user’s data with Facebook and other third-party services that are integrated with its services for content suggestions and ads.

WhatsApp terms and conditions 2021

WhatsApp receives and collects the user’s information to operate, provide, improve, customise, support, and market its services.

The company says, “When you or others use third-party services or other Facebook Company Products that are integrated with our Services, those third-party services may receive information about what you or others share with them. For example, if you use a data backup service integrated with our Services (like iCloud or Google Drive), they will receive information you share with them, such as your WhatsApp messages.”

WhatsApp further notes, “if you interact with a third-party service or another Facebook Company Product linked through our Services, such as when you use the in-app player to play content from a third-party platform, information about you, like your IP address and the fact that you are a WhatsApp user, may be provided to such third party or Facebook Company Product.”

These new terms and policies will be effective starting February 8, 2021, and to continue using the app, users will have to accept them. If you would like to get more information on this, you can head to its Help Center.