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Whatsapp to share user data with facebook

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I didn't see anything about this on Urban so I thought I'd post something.

Despite claiming it wouldn't share data when it was sold to facebook, whatsapp is now going to do so. If you don't want to share your whatsapp data with facebook you can go into settings on whatsapp and un-click share data, I believe this option will only be available for the next 30 days.

Settings>Account>share my account info (see post 4 below for more options if you don't have the "share my account" option yet on your device).
 
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You may not have the "share my account info" option mentioned in the OP if you have not yet been asked to accept the new terms and conditions.

Edit to give better info:
There are two main ways of opting out of the new terms, one of them fairly simply and the other ever so slightly more complicated.

The first way can only be done if you haven’t accepted the new terms, using the pop-up that will emerge when you open up WhatsApp. If you haven’t, wait until that happens but don’t click “agree” – instead navigate to the smaller “read more” option, and untick the box that says “Share my WhatsApp account information with Facebook”.

If you’ve already accepted those new terms, you can still opt out – as long as it’s within 30 days. You can do that by heading to the settings menu in the app, and pressing on the account tab – there you’ll find a “share my account info” button that you can uncheck to revoke your permission.

Also, WhatsApp will be sharing the data with the “Facebook family of companies” — so presumably its user data could also be fed to VR firm Oculus Rift, another Fb acquisition, and photo-sharing network Instagram.

WhatsApp data that will be shared under the new T&Cs includes the phone number a user used to verify their account, and the last time they used the service. What isn't 100% clear yet is what other data they may share, could it be the names of people in your contact list and their phone numbers?
 
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More information is coming out about how this data sharing could affect users of whatsapp and other facebook company programs. According to some reports "Facebook will be able to suggest WhatsApp contacts as Facebook friends" so beware if you want to keep these separate.
 
Cheeky fuckers only allowing 30 days to object.

It seems that contacts is a very effective way to map out who knows who. Most people now have a phone and most contacts are reciprocal. Therefore even if you don't have a smartphone and have never used facebook they'll still have a 'ghost profile' for you (no doubt with a name from the contact) made up from the people who have your number and have given fb access to their contacts. this is quite a big and blatent land grab on that front and will fill in a lot of gaps.

They're pushing their luck, same with forcing people to install messenger on their phones (rather then use the browser). There are a few work arounds but I've ultimately just stopped using messenger (ironically for whatsapp :( )
 
salem said:
Cheeky fuckers only allowing 30 days to object.

It seems that contacts is a very effective way to map out who knows who. Most people now have a phone and most contacts are reciprocal. Therefore even if you don't have a smartphone and have never used facebook they'll still have a 'ghost profile' for you (no doubt with a name from the contact) made up from the people who have your number and have given fb access to their contacts. this is quite a big and blatent land grab on that front and will fill in a lot of gaps.

They're pushing their luck, same with forcing people to install messenger on their phones (rather then use the browser). There are a few work arounds but I've ultimately just stopped using messenger (ironically for whatsapp :( )
Click to expand...
I don't about facebook as I don't use it (do they ask for access to your telephone list?), but from what I have read so far only contact in your whatsapp will be shared with facebook not the names and numbers from your telephone list.
 
FB do ask for access to your contacts list (although you can deny it)

However as far as I know whatsapp requires full access to your contacts in order to work (from a technical point of view rather then them just being difficult).
 
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FridgeMagnet said:
If you have allowed whatsapp access to your contacts, those will be sent to Facebook.
Click to expand...
OK I only have whatsapp because family members forced it on me, I guess my contacts list isn't shared as I'm sure I got a message along the lines of "this person isn't in your contact list" when my sister sent me a message (and her number is in my phone contacts).

I'll have to check if it was from the phone number I have for her on my phone, maybe she sent it from a different phone
 
Update
Facebook has been told that it cannot collect WhatsApp users' data in Germany after the messaging app updated its terms last month to allow information sharing with its parent company.

Regulators expressed fears that the policy changes could infringe on WhatsApp users' privacy by giving Facebook access to their phone numbers, as well as information about their phones and operating systems.

Responding to such concerns, a German regulator has ordered Facebook to stop collecting WhatsApp data and delete all of the information that has already been transferred from the messaging app to the social media giant.

"It has to be the 35 million WhatsApp users in Germany's decision whether they want to connect their account with Facebook," said Johannes Caspar, the data protection commissioner for Hamburg. "Facebook has to ask for their permission in advance. This has not happened."

Read more
 
salem said:
Cheeky fuckers only allowing 30 days to object.

It seems that contacts is a very effective way to map out who knows who. Most people now have a phone and most contacts are reciprocal. Therefore even if you don't have a smartphone and have never used facebook they'll still have a 'ghost profile' for you (no doubt with a name from the contact) made up from the people who have your number and have given fb access to their contacts. this is quite a big and blatent land grab on that front and will fill in a lot of gaps.

They're pushing their luck, same with forcing people to install messenger on their phones (rather then use the browser). There are a few work arounds but I've ultimately just stopped using messenger (ironically for whatsapp :( )
Click to expand...
If you use Android, I can recommend Swipe. It's a free app that replaces the Facebook app and it works with messaging...for now. There's a similar one for iOS that might be called Paper, though I'm not 100% sure on the name. And no idea if it works with messaging.

Swipe is much better than the FB app and doesn't require you to install all the other bollocks that the official app does.
 
Installed it thanks. Seems good so far! Although the message after installation suggests the developer is ultimetly fighting a constant battle with fb pulling support for different work arounds.
 
salem said:
Installed it thanks. Seems good so far! Although the message after installation suggests the developer is ultimetly fighting a constant battle with fb pulling support for different work arounds.
Click to expand...
Yep, it disappeared briefly so he had to make a change to re-enable messaging. Took a day IIRC. There's another option in the settings which is his second work around for when they block his trick, so he's already planning the second battle. He'll lose eventually, I'm sure, but for now it's a good option.
 
How would it know how to share with Facebook - ie for those who don't use Facebook app, for example. I honestly can't remember if I turned off the data sharing option back in August/Sep and now the option isn't there.

Facecrack does know my number... Maybe that's how. But WhatsApp isn't connected to Facebook as far as I know
 
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