WhatsApp: Difference between revisions
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===User Privacy=== | ===User Privacy=== | ||
Collects and shares metadata, while competing apps intentionally collect less to avoid incursions on | Collects and shares metadata, while competing apps intentionally collect less to avoid incursions on their users' privacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elkind |first=Peter |last2=Gillum |first2=Jack |last3=Silverman |first3=Craig |date=7 Sep 2021 |title=How Facebook Undermines Privacy Protections for Its 2 Billion WhatsApp Users |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/how-facebook-undermines-privacy-protections-for-its-2-billion-whatsapp-users |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907090516/https://www.propublica.org/article/how-facebook-undermines-privacy-protections-for-its-2-billion-whatsapp-users |archive-date=7 Sep 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=ProPublica}}</ref> | ||
===Market Control=== | ===Market Control=== | ||
The combination of [[Facebook]], WhatsApp and [[Instagram]], all owned by Meta, | The combination of [[Facebook]], WhatsApp, and [[Instagram]], all owned by Meta, serves billions of active users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Stacy Jo |date=10 Jul 2024 |title=Most popular social networks worldwide as of April 2024, by number of monthly active users |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/ |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=Statista |quote=''[...] Meta Platforms owns four of the biggest social media platforms, all with more than one billion monthly active users each: Facebook (core platform), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram.''}}</ref> | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved | This is a list of all consumer protection incidents in which this company is involved. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:WhatsApp messenger|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | ||
===Introduction of advertising (2025)=== | ===Introduction of advertising (2025)=== | ||
In June 2025, Meta announced that personalized ads would be introduced | In June 2025, Meta announced that personalized ads would be introduced globally on WhatsApp.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scharon |first=Harding |date=2025-06-16 |title=Ads are “rolling out gradually” to WhatsApp |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/ads-are-rolling-out-gradually-to-whatsapp/ |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> Previously, Meta (then known as Facebook) stated in 2014, after it acquired the application: <blockquote>''("[…] And you can still count on absolutely no ads interrupting your communication.")''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/facebook?lang=en |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=WhatsApp Blog}}</ref> </blockquote>The personalized ads also utilize data from linked accounts on other Meta platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-16 |title=Helping You Find More Channels and Businesses on WhatsApp |url=https://about.fb.com/news/2025/06/helping-you-find-more-channels-businesses-on-whatsapp/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=Meta Newsroom}}</ref> | ||
===Privacy policy update (2021)=== | ===Privacy policy update (2021)=== | ||
{{Main|WhatsApp updates privacy policy and millions of users flee the platform}} | {{Main|WhatsApp updates privacy policy and millions of users flee the platform}} | ||
There was widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update | There was widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update related to the data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses that use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of their chats on Facebook servers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=12 Jan 2021 |title=WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving all your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112161057/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |archive-date=12 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref> The update sparked a broader concern, prompting millions of users to abandon the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hern |first=Alex |date=24 Jan 2021 |title=WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124165416/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |archive-date=24 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> | ||
==="Advanced chat privacy"=== | ==="Advanced chat privacy"=== | ||
The " | The "Advanced Chat Privacy" feature reduces data portability by disabling chat exporting. Chat exporting allows you to export the entire chat history, along with optional media attachments, into a ZIP file. This can now be remotely disabled by the other participant, meaning the user is at the mercy of the other participant to allow exporting. | ||
There are legitimate reasons for exporting chats such as backups in a human-readable and non-proprietary format, | There are legitimate reasons for exporting chats, such as creating backups in a human-readable and non-proprietary format, preempting erroneous account terminations (yes, [https://karl-voit.at/cloud they do happen]), searching using external tools, and preserving good memories with people, including those of deceased individuals (see [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj5dxoMY-dE Ed Sheeran - Old Phone]). And if you don't trust someone to keep something secret, you shouldn't send it in the first place, just as you would not tell them in real life. | ||
The developers of WhatsApp have threatened | The developers of WhatsApp have threatened to block [[screenshot blocking|screenshots]] inside chats with "advanced chat privacy" enabled:<ref>[http://archive.today/2025.07.07-200053/https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-advanced-chat-privacy-feature/ WhatsApp’s New Advanced Chat Privacy Feature to Protect Sensitive Conversations]</ref> | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
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</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
==Mandatory updates== | ==Mandatory updates== | ||
WhatsApp forces users to stay on updated versions of the app by first giving them an in-app warning if | WhatsApp forces users to stay on updated versions of the app by first giving them an in-app warning if they have not updated for a while. If the user still chooses not to update, usage of the app will be disabled entirely {{Citation needed|reason=how long before this happens? any screenshots?}}. This is problematic in certain cases, such as being in an area with poor or limited internet connectivity or using an older device that is no longer supported.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Dylan |title=WhatsApp drops support for Android KitKat |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/whatsapp-support-android-kitkat/ |website=Android Police}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ro |date=2024-12-22 |title=WhatsApp to drop support for older Android devices on January 1, 2025 |url=https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_to_drop_support_for_older_android_devices_on_january_1_2025-news-65834.php |website=GSMArena}}</ref> <!-- In my experience, WhatsApp is one of the few apps to function near-perfectly on 3G, even rural areas. Updates however are usually 60+ MB, very chungus in comparison. I'm not sure how to incorporate this point though. -Raster --> | ||
==Alternatives== | ==Alternatives== | ||
*[https://www.signal.org Signal] offers most of the same features, and while [[Signal data collection|not without some issues]], the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design and is operated by a non-profit. | *[https://www.signal.org Signal] offers most of the same features, and while [[Signal data collection|not without some issues]], the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design, and is operated by a non-profit. | ||
*[https://matrix.org/ Matrix] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than a commercial messenger. | *[https://matrix.org/ Matrix] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than that of a commercial messenger. | ||
*[https://telegram.org/ Telegram] is the most popular alternative and end-user friendly, with minimal content moderation. Prior to a September 2024 policy change, it refused to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lily |last=Jamali |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref> | *[https://telegram.org/ Telegram] is the most popular alternative and is end-user-friendly, with minimal content moderation. Prior to a September 2024 policy change, it refused to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lily |last=Jamali |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||