WhatsApp is set to update its Terms of Service and privacy policies soon. The popular messaging platform's in-app notification, on late Tuesday evening, forced users to agree to its new privacy rules or else lose access to the app.
The Facebook-owned messaging app started sending in-app notifications to its users informing them about a change in its Terms of Service and its privacy policy.
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"WhatsApp is updating its terms and privacy policy," the notification sent by the firm to Android and iOS users read.
WhatsApp started trending on Twitter soon after users reported getting the message about its changed policies.
Key updates include:
The in-app notification also shared details about its key updates -- on how the firm processes user data, how businesses can use Facebook hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats and how the company partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the Facebook Company Product.
"How businesses can use Facebook hosted services to store and manage their WhatsApp chats and How we( WhatsApp) partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the Facebook Company Products," the WhatsApp notification read.
As per the popular messaging app, the company's new terms of service and privacy policy will go live on 8 February next month. In order to continue using the app, WhatsApp users will have to accept the terms and conditions. If the users do not accept the new terms of service, they will no longer be able to use their WhatsApp accounts from 8 February.
A detailed overview of how the app will change
Meanwhile, WhatsApp has also updated its privacy policies on its website and shared a detailed overview of how the app will change.
"Our Services have optional features which, if used by you, require us to collect additional information to provide such features. You will be notified of such a collection, as appropriate. If you choose not to provide the information needed to use a feature, you will be unable to use the feature. For example, you cannot share your location with your contacts if you do not permit us to collect your location data from your device. Permissions can be managed through your Settings menu on both Android and iOS devices," the Facebook-owned messaging app wrote.
The company further shared details on how much of the data is collected automatically by the messaging app. "We collect information about your activity on our Services, like service-related, diagnostic, and performance information. This includes information about your activity (including how you use our Services, your Services settings, how you interact with others using our Services (including when you interact with a business), and the time, frequency, and duration of your activities and interactions), log files, and diagnostic, crash, website, and performance logs and reports," WhatsApp said.
"This also includes information about when you registered to use our Services; the features you use like our messaging, calling, Status, groups (including group name, group picture, group description), payments or business features; profile photo, "about" information; whether you are online when you last used our Services (your "last seen"); and when you last updated your "about" information," WhatsApp added.
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