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WhatsApp has said that will start letting some companies send messages (and adverts) to users just as it will also begin sharing more data with Facebook.
It is the first time the company has changed its privacy policy since its acquisition by Facebook in 2014.
According to the new policy, WhatsApp will now share users’ phone numbers with the social network, which it will use to provide “more relevant” friend suggestions and advertisements.
Using the data, Facebook will be able to match people who have exchanged phone numbers, but have not added one another as “friends” on the social network.
WhatsApp will also share information about when people last used the service, but said it would not share the contents of messages, which are encrypted.
The company said in a blogpost that: “Your encrypted messages stay private and no-one else can read them. Not WhatsApp, not Facebook, nor anyone else”
The company said users would be able to opt out of sharing information with Facebook by following the steps outlined on its website.
How to opt out
- When prompted to accept the updated terms and conditions, tap Read to expand the full text
- A check box at the bottom of the new privacy policy will let you opt out of the data sharing
- WhatsApp states Facebook will still receive data in some situations