Zee Media Bureau


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New Delhi: Messaging service WhatsApp has updated its global privacy policy, under which it will now share phone numbers of users with its parent company, Facebook.


 


Privacy advocates had raised concerns that Facebook would start mining WhatsApp accounts for data. However, both the companies have maintained that WhatsApp would operate separately from the parent company and that its user data would not be shared without users' consent.


WhatsApp has over one billion users globally, with a significant chunk coming from India. Facebook also runs photo-sharing platform, Instagram.


WhatsApp will begin to "coordinate" accounts with Facebook by sharing WhatsApp users' mobile phone numbers and device information like the type of operating system and other details about the smartphone.


This means that if a person has the apps of Facebook and WhatsApp installed on the same device, even with different phone numbers, Facebook will now be able to map the two in the background using the basic device information.


Recently you must have been asked to tap ‘Agree’ to accept the updated terms. Did you just click the “Agree” Button without reading it?


You can read the full documents here: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/?l=en#key-updates