Re:WhatsApp delays privacy changes amid a backlash and user ...
by mikestew on Friday January 15, 2021 @02:51PM
(#25795444)
I didn't use WhatsApp much (mainly because of its ownership), but what little I did went out the window a week ago, and this weekend I'll work on moving that group back off text messages and move to Signal.
In summary, like other commenters, "Choo Choo", that train has left. I even gave WhatsApp a few days to wise up before I pulled the plug, but nope.
Re:WhatsApp delays privacy changes amid a backlash and user ...
by julianlam on Friday January 15, 2021 @03:55PM
(#25796320)
Okay, so now the deadline is May 15 instead of February 8th, but what exactly will WhatsApp be changing? My understanding is that with these new changes, WhatsApp will no longer need permission to share my contact list with Facebook.
Though importantly, if I didn't opt-out before, WhatsApp was already sharing this information with Facebook.
Right now I don't allow WhatsApp access to my contact list. It means all my messages are to phone numbers, which is a little inconvenient, but not overly so.
Come May 15th, will my app just refuse to open my messages list unless access to contacts is granted?
Re:WhatsApp delays privacy changes amid a backlash and user ...
by cassianoleal on Friday January 15, 2021 @09:56PM
(#25799578)
On the popup I received to accept the new terms, it said if I didn't accept them, then my account would be deleted.
Since they seem to have only delayed the deadline but not changed the terms, I assume all accounts from users who have not accepted the new terms will be deleted on that date.
That likely means not only no access to messages, but the deletion of them altogether - or at least I count on that but I don't have a way to verify it.
Re:WhatsApp delays privacy changes amid a backlash and user ...
by cassianoleal on Tuesday January 19, 2021 @05:37AM
(#25831983)
It's not. There's a lot of metadata there that's not dependent on your contact list.
They still have the phone numbers of the people you're in touch with, they have the groups you're part of and all the phone numbers there. To get (most of) your contact list, they just need to cross that information with everybody else's contacts list.
Your not sharing is not worth much when everybody else is sharing.
On top of that, they also know times you're online, potentially location, who you're messaging with, who you're making audio/video calls with and for how long, etc.
Re:WhatsApp delays privacy changes amid a backlash and user ...
by willemlabu on Friday January 15, 2021 @02:48PM
(#25795403)
This feels like a scramble to recoup some lost trust, and I imagine that they're hoping the media storm passes and the exodus stops. I really just hope Signal can get up and running again soon.
Re:WhatsApp delays privacy changes amid a backlash and user ...
by mikestew on Friday January 15, 2021 @03:42PM
(#25796141)
There's been a lot of misinformation...
If actual weasels could speak English, they would be shocked at the wording. What misinformation? That your app will be sharing data with Facebook? Did we all suffer mass delusion whilst reading the new ToS and privacy policies?
With these updates...
Sooo, it wasn't actually misinformation at the time, it just turns into misinformation after you changed your mind. Or something; fuck if I'm burning any more cycles trying to parse this, because WhatsApp will remain deleted on my phone.
In summary, like other commenters, "Choo Choo", that train has left. I even gave WhatsApp a few days to wise up before I pulled the plug, but nope.
Though importantly, if I didn't opt-out before, WhatsApp was already sharing this information with Facebook.
Right now I don't allow WhatsApp access to my contact list. It means all my messages are to phone numbers, which is a little inconvenient, but not overly so.
Come May 15th, will my app just refuse to open my messages list unless access to contacts is granted?
Since they seem to have only delayed the deadline but not changed the terms, I assume all accounts from users who have not accepted the new terms will be deleted on that date.
That likely means not only no access to messages, but the deletion of them altogether - or at least I count on that but I don't have a way to verify it.
They still have the phone numbers of the people you're in touch with, they have the groups you're part of and all the phone numbers there. To get (most of) your contact list, they just need to cross that information with everybody else's contacts list.
Your not sharing is not worth much when everybody else is sharing.
On top of that, they also know times you're online, potentially location, who you're messaging with, who you're making audio/video calls with and for how long, etc.
"Giving More Time For Our Recent Update"
https://blog.whatsapp.com/giving-more-time-for-our-recent-up...
If actual weasels could speak English, they would be shocked at the wording. What misinformation? That your app will be sharing data with Facebook? Did we all suffer mass delusion whilst reading the new ToS and privacy policies?
With these updates...
Sooo, it wasn't actually misinformation at the time, it just turns into misinformation after you changed your mind. Or something; fuck if I'm burning any more cycles trying to parse this, because WhatsApp will remain deleted on my phone.