WhatsApp clarifies new privacy policy

Christopher Reckord, an information technology consultant, has urged Jamaicans to be careful in sharing personal information with online applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.

The caution comes as some WhatsApp users flee the platform amid fear that their messages and other personal information sent by users on the platform will be shared with Facebook, the parent company for WhatsApp.

"These entrepreneurs build an application and offer it to us for free. We use is for free. How do we expect them to make any money? They did not build any of these apps out of the goodness of their heart," Reckord, of tTech Limited, told THE WEEKEND STAR. Reckord said that there is increasing importance of data protection and privacy.

"It is the reason why we now have a Data Protection Act recently passed into law in Jamaica, and it is the reason why my company, tTech Limited, has partnered with Design Privacy, to do our part towards creating a culture of privacy in Jamaica," he said.

More than 25 million users have reportedly fled WhatsApp for messaging platforms such as Telegram and Signal. WhatsApp had sent messages to its two billion users indicating changes to its privacy policy, which are set to come into effect on February 8

Terms of service

"All users need to accept the new terms of service if they want to continue using WhatsApp," Danielle Meister, of WhatsApp global policy office, told THE WEEKEND STAR via email.

"I do want to point out that in accordance with our policies, accounts will remain active until people accept the new update. Additionally, just to be clear, the update does not change WhatsApp's data sharing practices with Facebook," she added.

Meister also said the new policy "does not impact how people communicate privately with friends or family wherever they are in the world". She said that users would be expected to agree to the new terms of service, should they intend to continue using WhatsApp.

"I do want to point out that in accordance with our policies, accounts will remain active until people accept the new update," she said.