WhatsApp: Difference between revisions
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==Consumer impact summary== | ==Consumer impact summary== | ||
=== User Privacy === | ===User Privacy=== | ||
Collects and shares metadata, while rivaling apps intentionally collect less to avoid incursions on its 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 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=ProPublica}}</ref> | Collects and shares metadata, while rivaling apps intentionally collect less to avoid incursions on its 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, serve 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}}</ref> | The combination of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, all owned by Meta, serve 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}}</ref> | ||
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This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:WhatsApp messenger|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:WhatsApp messenger|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | ||
=== 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 a widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update, relating the data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its 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 received a broader concern, causing millions of users to flee 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> | There was a widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update, relating the data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its 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 received a broader concern, causing millions of users to flee 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> | ||
Revision as of 20:36, 6 March 2025
WhatsApp
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Social Media |
| Official website | https://www.whatsapp.com/ |
WhatsApp (officially WhatsApp Messenger) is an American instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta.
Consumer impact summary
User Privacy
Collects and shares metadata, while rivaling apps intentionally collect less to avoid incursions on its users’ privacy.[1]
Market Control
The combination of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, all owned by Meta, serve billions of active users.[2]
Incidents
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the WhatsApp category.
Privacy policy update (2021)
There was a widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update, relating the data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its chats on Facebook servers.[3] The update received a broader concern, causing millions of users to flee the platform.[4]
References
- ↑ Elkind, Peter; Gillum, Jack; Silverman, Craig (7 Sep 2021). "How Facebook Undermines Privacy Protections for Its 2 Billion WhatsApp Users". ProPublica. Archived from the original on 7 Sep 2021. Retrieved 6 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Dixon, Stacy Jo (10 Jul 2024). "Most popular social networks worldwide as of April 2024, by number of monthly active users". Statista. Retrieved 6 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Statt, Nick (12 Jan 2021). "WhatsApp clarifies it's not giving all your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users". The Verge. Archived from the original on 12 Jan 2021. Retrieved 6 Mar 2025.
- ↑ Hern, Alex (24 Jan 2021). "WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 Jan 2021. Retrieved 6 Mar 2025.