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WhatsApp Takes Out Full Newspaper Ads To Tackle Damaging Privacy Concerns
By Mikelle Leow, 15 Jan 2021
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Image via tanuha2001 / Shutterstock.com
Frustrated WhatsApp users around the world began moving to popular text messaging alternatives like Telegram and Signal after the platform updated its privacy policy.
WhatsApp’s revised policy, published earlier this month, details that it can share data from the app with parent company Facebook.
As damage control, the service reassured users that it “respects” their boundaries in full-page newspaper advertising spaces across India, where there are about 400 million WhatsApp users.
“WhatsApp respects and protects your privacy,” the announcements read. “Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA,” WhatsApp added.
The advertisements were splashed across at least 10 English- and Hindi-language papers in India, B&T reported.
In a separate tweet, WhatsApp shared an infographic stressing that Facebook cannot access private messages and calls, that WhatsApp groups “remain private,” and that the messaging app “does not keep logs of who everyone is messaging or calling” and “cannot see your shared location.”
This is interesting! #WhatsApp goes for full-front page on almost all the TOP Newspapers of the country to clarify it’s controversial #PrivacyPolicy.
— aboyob bhuyan (@aboyobbhuyan) January 13, 2021
Indian users are already shifting to @telegram & @signalapp. As such, TOP-TOP PR games in the battleground! pic.twitter.com/TgfCanv4ZX
Hahaha, enough people switched to @signalapp in India for @whatsapp to start panicking with misleading front page ads in newspapers pic.twitter.com/gnPOqqMykZ
— Dev (@Dev14e) January 13, 2021
We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption. pic.twitter.com/6qDnzQ98MP
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 12, 2021
[via B&T, cover image via tanuha2001 / Shutterstock.com]
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