Changes to the WhatsApp Privacy Policy
*By Fernando Lopes
O Whatsapp is a cross-platform instant messaging and voice calling app for smartphones. In addition to text messages, users can send images, videos and PDF documents, and make free calls through an internet connection, but the app started notifying its users earlier this year that its terms have been updated. of service and its privacy policy would undergo changes, taking effect on May 15th. According to the company's words, accounts that are not accepted will not be deleted, but will limit the use of the tools over time.
Messenger apps in corporate environments
Due to all this technological advancement, these devices and applications today help us in various tasks, both personal and professional. However, how should the performance of these messengers be treated in a corporate environment?
Starting from the basics, they should only use approved tools for such communications in corporate environments, as the information transmitted in these applications does not bring real security to the companies, as to how their information is being treated. Another important point that companies can take into account (in case they make available corporate cell phones) is application blocking, which is an additional layer of protection, together with monitoring performed, for example, through the MDM tool. Adding positively to the company's security.
Privacy Policy Changes
When inserting new features into the app, the Whatsapp also starts to collect more Dice of the users, some of them shared with the Facebook (owner of the Whatsapp). Data such as the phone number associated with the username, brand and model of phone you use will also be shared.
In addition, they generated reactions to the prediction of sharing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, with which it will be able to locate a person's connections; also information about payments made through WhatsApp and about the time spent in the app. There is also a point of attention that such data will not only be shared with Facebook, but also with other brands belonging to the company founded by Mark Zuckerberg, such as Instagram and Messenger.
An Expert's View:
Attorney Luiz Augusto D'Urso, from the office D'Urso e Borges Advogados Associados, a specialist in Digital Law and professor of Digital Law at the FGV MBA, explains that, despite being against a global trend in data protection, policy does not directly affect the rights of users because, according to the GDPR, there is a requirement for transparency, and the Whatsapp it is actually informing its users that they will be using this data.
Messenger Options for Personal Use
Due to all this inconvenience and changes, I highlight here some application options to perform your migration, if these changes are not to your liking:
- telegram: Telegram claims that it manages its message storage and decryption keys in a way that would require court orders from various legal systems around the world to be able to access any of its data. Supports groups with up to 200,000 members! Supports all notifications you receive from the app. Also, the size limit for file sharing on Telegram is 1.5GB, any file. It has a privacy policy, available in the app.
- sign: The signal is by far the best when it comes to security, whether in the backend or on the user-facing side of the service. In order to protect the user's privacy in every way, Signal has developed a new way to communicate between the sender and the receiver and it is called Sealed Sender. Basically, with Sealed Sender, no one will be able to know, not even Signal, who is sending messages to whom. It also encrypts metadata. Allows you to relay voice calls to your servers so your identity remains hidden from your contacts. The feature is somewhat similar to what a VPN Signal also offers a built-in option to hide your IP address. Also, you can enable the keyboardincognito while typing in Signal, apply dark mode, delete old messages with a tap and of course blur faces and private information from images using its powerful photo editor. It has a privacy policy, available in the application and meets the GDPR (General Regulation on Data Protection).
Conclusion
According to consultancy App Annie, Signal was in first place in downloads in 44 countries after WhatsApp announced the new policy, an application that previously did not lead in any country. According to the same consultancy, with Telegram it was no different. The app led in over 20 countries.
In February 2020, the European Political portal reported that the European Commission asked its members to switch from WhatsApp to Signal to increase security.
Another important point to be taken into account is that WhatsApp is owned by Facebook and there have been cases where Facebook user data were provided, violating their privacy. Case witnessed around the world, the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the information from more than 50 million people was used without their consent. to do political propaganda.
*Fernando Lopes is a GRC trainee at Safeway
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