WhatsApp has announced an updated privacy policy that will give it the right to share users' phone numbers with its parent company, Facebook. The move, which comes over two years after Facebook acquired the messaging app for USD 19 billion, will lead to better friend suggestions and more relevant ads, said WhatsApp, adding that by sharing user data it will be able to "better track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp." The company was keen to emphasise that it won't post or share users' WhatsApp-verified phone numbers with others, including on Facebook, and it won't sell, share, or give the number to advertisers.
In addition, users can choose not to give their consent to the new terms and conditions by reading the full privacy policy and unchecking the corresponding box. They also have 30 days to opt out of sharing data with Facebook if they inadvertently agree to the new T&Cs.
WhatsApp said the updated privacy policy also reflects the recent introduction of end-to-end encryption and helps pave the way for the forthcoming introduction of business accounts, allowing companies to communicate with users and vice-versa.
