WhatsApp Delays Enforcement of Privacy Terms by 3 Months, Following Backlash (techcrunch.com) 34
WhatsApp said on Friday that it won't enforce the planned update to its data-sharing policy until May 15, weeks after news about the new terms created confusion among its users, exposed the Facebook-app to a potential lawsuit, triggered a nationwide investigation, and drove tens of millions of its loyal fans to explore alternative messaging apps. From a report: "We're now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8. We're also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security works on WhatsApp. We'll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15," the firm said in a blog post. The messaging app, which serves more than two billion users, said it was delaying the enforcement of the new terms, which it first unveiled last year, over confusion it has created worldwide. The delay of the planned privacy update is aimed at providing users with more time to review the terms, the company said.
Too late Zuck (Score:3)
FU
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Too late Zuck (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah I'm sure those billion+ users will start fleeing Facebook any day now...
This is typical of the company. Push the limits as far as they can, and when there's backlash... draw back only slightly, then in a couple months quietly implement the original plan anyway. And almost no one calls them on it.
Re: (Score:2)
They can delay whatever they want (Score:5, Insightful)
When you're accepting stupid EULA terms (Score:3)
There should be a mandatory comment field where you can type your exception to those terms, and maybe add monetary damages for failure to protect your data.
Something like:
"I refuse to accept these terms, and any violation of my privacy or personal information will result in a payment to me of not more than $25,000 per violation."
Re:When you're accepting stupid EULA terms (Score:5, Informative)
You can when you delete your account. Select "other" and put in something like, "TOS Changes".
Re: (Score:2)
What is stopping you (or anyone) from directly negotiating the EULA/TOS with any company?
You could also try to negotiate with your local grocer that they pay you $25k for each bad apple they sell you. Good luck with either.
Re: (Score:3)
"What is stopping you (or anyone) from directly negotiating the EULA/TOS with any company?"
Negotiating takes two. Tough to negotiate anything when the company will not return your phone calls, or, indeed, give you any kind of phone number or other contact or interact meaningfully with you in any way. It's take the EULA/TOS or leave it, you can't talk to us in any way to submit the EULA/TOS you want.
Facebook (Score:2)
Re:Facebook (Score:5, Interesting)
It's institutional arrogance, similar to the way Microsoft's Windows or Office divisions act, or how Google is now dictating web standards by proxy with Chrome. They've got such a dominant market-share that they feel they can literally get away with whatever they want, and people will meekly acquiesce.
Or at least, that's my take on it. Either that or they're just sociopaths. Hmm... maybe a little of each?
Re: (Score:3)
The mentality is simple: make money. They don't care if they piss people off, as long as people keep using Facebook and they make the maximum amount of money possible off those people. And no matter how pissed off people cry that they are, they do keep using Facebook and letting Facebook make money off them. Seems to me that Facebook aren't the ones with an incomprehensible mentality.
It may be too late... (Score:1)
...the damage may already be done. WhatsApp may have shot itself in the foot. Too bad.
So this will suppose no change to your privacy... (Score:2)
... but anyway we will delay the new privacy policy 3 months to see if we can brainwash in the meantime the tens of millions that flew to come back.
Confusion? Realization is more like it (Score:5, Insightful)
Facebook turned up the heat on the frog a little too quickly and it hopped out.
Re: (Score:2)
Their reaction is weird though. It would make sense now that "fuck, they noticed" to just push it home.
Instead they back off but only for three months. So we'll have another round of "facebook evil" news in three months, and another wave of people switching. And this time, there will likely be a lot more people on telegram and signal, so they'll be far more viable as platforms for many people.
Anectodal, but my contact list blew up on signal (several times more people than it used to have before this scandal
Signal overloaded!!! (Score:1)
Signal is having troubles keeping up with the huge number of freshly registered users!
https://twitter.com/signalapp/... [twitter.com]
This is such wonderful news (albeit a bit annoying, but whatever, just a bit of patience)
It is also SO SWEET to see the pathetic Zuck's PR drones trying to scramble to contain the damage! They must have underestimated the bad reputation they had already accumulated among "commoners" (their reputation with privacy/tech people was never good in the first place). All my friends and relatives I
OK, three more months to switch to Signal (Score:3)
But what do you do with people who dont care about their privacy? They seem to be saying, "
What?!? Are you serious? 25 cents off a loaf of bread! You got to be kidding! what a deal. Gimme the frequent shopper card. I will let you track every thing I buy and also all the medications I buy at the pharmacy. 25 cents is 25 cents.
"
Just when I was getting ready to laugh at these people, out comes the FB crowd Take all my data! I don't even want that 25 cents!.
Left me wondering, what the hell, am I the one over reacting with privacy concerns?
Re: (Score:3)
Left me wondering, what the hell, am I the one over reacting with privacy concerns?
Same here. In other non-tech circles, I have been seeing these reactions below whenever WhatsApp and Signal is mentioned, I now feel it is hopeless to educate people about data privacy.
- "All apps steals all your data anyway"
- "Don't expect privacy if you use a smartphone"
- "They are going to know everything I do anyway"
- "Signal has been cracked already"
- "How can you trust Signal won't turn around and be sold to someone else later?"
- "Signal was made by the same guy that made WhatsApp, so it is just the
It's called addiction (Score:2)
Smokers, drug addicts and alcoholics will also excuse their behavior and addiction. So will social-media addicts.
Re: OK, three more months to switch to Signal (Score:2)
Dude, you should come to Europe! Since the GDPR, that completely turned around here!
Nobody is talking like that anymore. It's only still happening when people aren't aware of it. ("Payback" being the main asshole on the block.)
In any other case, from students to eldery people, there's only two kinds of people now: Those who are even more careful with theie privacy than us geeks... And those who treat it like a cigarette addiction, where they respect you for being free of it, and some day want to be too, but
More time, but no change (Score:2)
aimed at providing users with more time to review the terms
People don't need more time to review the terms. They already understand you're trying to screw them and they've said no. What you're telling them is "We think you're too stupid to understand and that's why you all left. We're going to give you just one more chance, idiots."
Not in the EU. (Score:2)
This does not apply in the EU since it would be illegal there.
I have to wonder, why is it that a company is allowed to pick which state's laws will apply, but I can't pick the EU or at least California's laws to govern my business relationships without physically moving?
Re: Not in the EU. (Score:2)
What if I was setting up an international meta-shell company?
Anyone, even single people, could operate under my company's umbrella, to choose any jurisdiction he likes. Even on a per-transaction basis.
I would not even demand any money fornit. The sheer glee from doing this would be enough of a reward. (I just want to see assholes "burn". :)
Waking up (Score:1)
This may give it some time to either reconsider the sharing of data between WhatsApp and Facebook or allow users to opt-out...for now.
Let's face it, in the end the only thing that will force companies like Facebook to change its stance is consumers vot
"created confusion among its users," (Score:3)
Why those words, Slashdot ?
They tried to enhance their ability to spy on their users, so their users left en masse to Signal.
Fuck your weasel words.
Re: "created confusion among its users," (Score:2)
Because it was written by the WhatsApp PR department amd just copy-pasted.
[spongebob rainbow meme]
"news reporting!"
"Loyal fans"? (Score:2)
Really? This is the sort of writing I'd expect from a magazine aimed at pre-teen girls, not one of the original tech forums.
Doesn't /. have anyone that can blue-pencil this kind of drivel?
And anyway, the whole idea of "loyal fans" in tech went out with ST/Amiga wars, didn't it?
Oh, wait, Apple... OK, never mind...
Then why... (Score:3)
Was I was just shown the update in-app and forced to accept it when I opened the app?
LOL! (Score:2)
Wow are they a bunch of psychopaths!
They see massive backlash and people fleeing in droves because of something . . .
*and then don't even not do that, but try to get people anyway by delaying it for 3 months in the hopes that people will forget and they can trap them anyway*!!
I haven seen such obvious psychopathy since the Exxon CEO didn't say he was sorry for the massive oil spill, but that he was sorry for having been caught!!
Confusion? (Score:1)
after news about the new terms created confusion among its users
Confusion? There's no confusion. They changed the terms to allow hoovering up all your data and selling it to whoever is willing to pay. They hoped to hide it in a 4,000-word EULA but didn't succeed. Now they're doing damage control while still looking for ways to accomplish the same goal without you noticing.
There is no confusion. This was planned all along and completely predictable.
They made it too clear (Score:2)