Hyper-popular messaging app WhatsApp announced yesterday that it would start sharing some user data — including your phone number — with parent company Facebook. The two companies say the new policy will help you find friends and "improve your Facebook ads and products experiences," but it will also give businesses a new avenue to reach potential customers, with WhatsApp describing situations where banks and airlines will use your phone number to get in touch about fraudulent payments or delayed flights.
WhatsApp has promised that it won't sell or share that number with advertisers, but if you still balk at the idea of putting your phone number where a legion of hungry brands could potentially see it, you're in luck — you've still got a chance to stop WhatsApp from handing Facebook this new data if you act fast. There are two methods, as Motherboard notes, but the first has to be done before you accept the messaging app's new terms of service. Rather than clicking "agree" blindly, press the smaller "read more" option below, and uncheck the box that reads "Share my WhatsApp account information with Facebook..."
Don't worry if you've already accepted those new terms, however — you've still got 30 days to opt out. Head to the app's settings menu, and then press the account tab. From there, you can uncheck the box reading "Share my account info" to stop providing Facebook with your user data.
Comments
Great! Now I can go on with a false sense of privacy, like if Facebook didn’t have my telephone number and other info from acquaintances that share their phone or email contacts with FB!
By Chipiron on 08.26.16 12:53am
Lol spot on
By geminiman7 on 08.26.16 11:45am
(Double post)
By Chipiron on 08.26.16 12:53am
.
By Chipiron on 08.26.16 12:53am
I really don’t care whether they do or not. Facebook already has my number.
By roodlyp on 08.26.16 12:55am
this
By mutlak on 08.26.16 1:58am
Call me maybe?
By Cottonheadedninnymuggin on 08.26.16 9:13am
It’s more about the connection between both accounts.
By colacastell on 08.26.16 12:14pm
They will still share your information with the "Facebook family of companies." The opt-out just means they won’t use it for advertising.
From their FAQ:
By ashwan on 08.26.16 1:00am
Yes, but for different purposes. In theory, your Facebook account shouldn’t be affected by your Whatsapp account, they will use your information to improve their technological infrastructure.
I think that limiting the opt-out for just 30 days is wicked however.
By okh on 08.26.16 2:56am
Theoretically they could still track you by the simple fact that you’re the only one in your group to "break the pattern".
By id4andrei on 08.26.16 3:27pm
The Option isn’t there for everybody. Not sure wether it’s a location thing or not. At least in Germany you can’t see it!
By dwalkr on 08.26.16 2:31am
Nor in UK. Perhaps they’re not doing it in Europe?
By toomuchcoffee on 08.26.16 2:43am
Ireland here, I haven’t even seen any updated terms of service.
By BaronBricks on 08.26.16 3:45am
It is there in the U.K., I have just done it.
By psyicker on 08.26.16 4:03am
I’m in the UK and I had the option
By Reformist Tae on 08.26.16 4:37am
Also in the UK and had the option.
By InsaneNutter on 08.26.16 7:33am
Austria works. Opted out a second ago.
By neumond on 08.26.16 9:33am
I received the new ToS this morning in Austria after updating the app, so it will come to Europe as well.
By lunovis on 08.26.16 4:03am
Not for me here in the UK either. Telegram and Hangouts do all that WhatsApp do, PLUS they work on the iPad, which WhatsApp cannot being it’s 100% reliant on your phone number.
By oflife on 08.26.16 4:29am
what do you mean? you can’t uncheck the box or you’re not shown they updated their conditions?
bc I’m in germany and got the notification inside whatsapp yesterday or so but I clicked on decide later
By luccca on 08.26.16 9:27am
I’m in Brazil and the option is not there for me either.
By rfbarna on 08.26.16 9:59am
South Africa and I had the option
By Wandile Tembe on 08.26.16 5:56pm
Just got it about 3h ago in Switzerland.
By apapez on 08.26.16 6:42pm
Thank you The Verge, great tip!
By chkdsk on 08.26.16 3:14am