Debate On WhatsApp Privacy..

Update debate on WhatsApp

Context:

WhatsApp has announced that they would delay the new policy launch to May from February after facing a backlash worldwide.

Details:

The reaction from the users was so strong that millions of new users signed up for alternatives such as Telegram and Signal — around 25 million new users signed up for Telegram in just three days, and Signal became the number one app in its category in many parts of the world.

The decision to delay has highlighted the need to regulate digital companies dealing with private data of people.

The issue at hand

The announcement by WhatsApp about the update to its terms of service and privacy policy was the beginning of the problems for the Facebook-owned app.

The update to its terms of service and privacy policy would mean that the users would be shortchanged, with the option to be able to opt-out of sharing data with Facebook no longer being available.

A deadline of February 8 was announced for accepting the new terms, but this proved to be counterproductive as it led to a mass exodus from WhatsApp.

Users leaving the app was unprecedented, never in the history of the application had it seen such a huge backlash, not even in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal concerned the obtaining of the personal data of millions of Facebook users without their consent by British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, predominantly to be used for political advertising.

Cause for concern

The WhatsApp policy update did not go down well with the users, their concerns largely revolved around privacy not being protected.

Recent media reports have been indicating that the messaging app Signal which has gained from the exodus from WhatsApp, uses the same end-to-end encryption protocol as WhatsApp.

Since WhatsApp came under the scanner, it has chosen to assure its users against heeding to rumours about the updates.

It has put out several messages and issued advertisements to convey that the changes are “related to optional business features on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data”.

WhatsApp justification

The company has come out saying that all the messages are end-to-end encrypted, and it doesn’t keep logs of who people message or call.

The app already shares certain categories of personal data, including the user’s phone number and IP address, with Facebook.

The service also tried to clarify that WhatsApp can’t see the shared location (neither can Facebook), and it doesn’t share users’ contacts with Facebook.

WhatsApp has also justified that millions of business interactions take place every day on WhatsApp, and the new privacy updates will make it easier while also enabling personalised ads on Facebook.

What may happen?

WhatsApp has chosen to postpone the update to May 15. The sharing data with Facebook is inevitable as WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion.

WhatsApp gave up plans to charge its users and thus would be aiming to monetize the app by the handling of business interactions.

The change in terms of services is not applicable to its users in Europe, as Europe’s data protection regime going by the name of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), prevents such sharing between apps.

Indian scenario

Users in Europe, governed by GDPR, exercise far greater ownership and thus the control of their data than the rest of the world.

In India, the discussion on a Data Protection law has been on for several years now, a Data Protection Bill was proposed more than a year ago, but has not proceeded further.

All India has is a draft version of a law, and it has been so for a few years now. Privacy of a billion citizens is too important a thing to be left just to the practices of a commercial enterprise. It will be reassuring if it is guaranteed by a strong law.

Conclusion

In the present era where data is referred to as the “new oil”, digital companies are looking at opportunities to share the data, monetize the data – this could create an incentive for a private data breach.

The recent WhatsApp episode has highlighted as to how the privacy of citizens is too important to be left to the business practices of digital companies.