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WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

arstechnica.com

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Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#571

Post by huhtenberg »

pvtmert wrote: post #516
eps wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been a very long time due. An ability to give untrustworthy software an access to a sandboxed blank copy of Contacts would've been very useful. As a side note, Telegram is the same as WhatsApp. You can't start a chat on a fresh install unless you give it an access to the contacts. There's no way to manually add in-app contacts. Given how "pro-privacy" they are supposed to be, this was rather disconcerting to…

You can, just deny the request and add contacts in Telegram. At least in android, I denied contact list and manually adding relevant ones to telegram.

That's not possible in the iOS version. Tapping on + pops up a request to grant Contacts access.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#572

Post by Closi »

wuschel wrote: post #489
submeta wrote: post #467

I am in the EU, and this is what I have been presented with: „ By tapping Agree, you accept the new terms, which take effect on February 8, 2021. After this date, you’ll need to accept the new terms to continue using WhatsApp. You can also visit the Help Center if you would prefer to delete your account and would like more information. To learn more about how WhatsApp processes your data, read our updated privacy pol…

It was always a clear business transaction: acess to a messenging service for access to meta data (and now message data). I wonder how Out of curiosity: Does anyone know how the new Whatsapp TOS differ from the Gmail TOS in regard to user data and privacy. How does the Facebook group use data differently than, say Facebook or Microsoft?

> It was always a clear business transaction: acess to a messenging service for access to meta data (and now message data).

Nah it wasn’t, I paid for WhatsApp originally and then there was a subscription model for a while.

I much prefer both those models, Facebook is just greedy.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#573

Post by extropy »

anupamchugh wrote: post #442

Such a sham that WhatsApp's privacy policy page still says: We joined Facebook in 2014. WhatsApp is now part of the Facebook family of companies. Our Privacy Policy explains how we work together to improve our services and offerings, like fighting spam across apps, making product suggestions, and showing relevant offers and ads on Facebook. Nothing you share on WhatsApp, including your messages, photos, and account i…

IMO it reads they will not be sharing any WhatsApp messages on your Facebook profile publicly (for others to see).

But says it will be used (shared) internally to target ads and product suggestions.

Very weasely indeed.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#574

Post by baq »

cranekam wrote: post #529
pojzon wrote: post #513

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their infra is generating those encryption certificates, so WhatsApp can very well decode the message and store it for further processing. They will most likely share metadata about you with facebook to sell that data to push more ads into your face. They may very well sell also data to insurance companies making it harder for you to get insurance. Options are limited only by who would like to pay for info about you.…

> Their infra is generating those encryption certificates, so WhatsApp can very well decode the message and store it for further processing. This is incorrect. The sender's device generates the key with which it encrypts outgoing messages. WhatsApp's infra cannot see the content of any messages sent. (Source: ex-WhatsApp employee)

it doesn't matter. whatsapp client sees the plaintext (duh). nothing stopping the ad arm of FB to process this.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#575

Post by inbx0 »

midasz wrote: post #525
perryizgr8 wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How's signal different? It's also in the same position as whatsapp was a few years ago. For the time being it may be better, but surely it is not a long-term alternative?

You don't have to pick a messaging app for life.

If the new messaging app doesn't have an option to import previous chats from the old platform, changing platforms does come with a price.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#576

Post by csunbird »

dessant wrote: post #548
chalst wrote: post #539

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't like Signal's stance on forks (which is that they are allowed but may not use the official Signal network) but it hardly has identical drawbacks. Signal is open source, can be downloaded as an official APK and can be run on LineageOS without Google Play (notifications do require some emulation of Play Services calls, but that can be provided using MicroG).

> forks ... may not use the official Signal network Is it technically prevented or just frowned upon? The former would be strange, because fixing a bug in your own private fork would also exclude you from the network.

I actually do not find this unreasonable, maintaining and providing backwards support everyone's custom version with their own quirks would be a big technical burden.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#578

Post by teekert »

WA is so deeply ingrained in the Dutch society, we even have this all over the place: [0]

At this point it's just a lost cause. I have some friends on Signal and use NextCloud talk (my own server, yay, still waiting for federated chat to chat to other servers), but so many "official" things are on WA, children's birthday parties, school announcements, sports related announcements, neighborhood announcements. We are really too dependent on WA, and you know, based on WA's original promises this wouldn't really be a problem. Now it is, although I fear I'm one of the very few that sees it that way.

[0] https://duckduckgo.com/?q=whatsapp+buurtpreventie&t=ffsb&iax...

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#579

Post by a0-prw »

I use Signal to chat with my family and friends. I use sms or an in-house service to communicate with colleagues. I only use WhatsApp with my gf. I don't have fb or Instagram. What effect does this policy change have on me? Obviously, fb will receive some data on me and my communications with my gf, connecting me to her (extensive) network on fb, but how worried should I be ?

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#580

Post by eps »

kome wrote: post #558
eps wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been a very long time due. An ability to give untrustworthy software an access to a sandboxed blank copy of Contacts would've been very useful. As a side note, Telegram is the same as WhatsApp. You can't start a chat on a fresh install unless you give it an access to the contacts. There's no way to manually add in-app contacts. Given how "pro-privacy" they are supposed to be, this was rather disconcerting to…

"There's no way to manually add in-app contacts." False, I do it ALL the time.

Here's a screencap - https://vimeo.com/497911640

First prompt is when tapping the plus sign at the top.

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