WhatsApp Still Needs to Prove it is Trustworthy

In the aftermath of WhatsApp’s privacy notification to users, that they will again be sharing data with Facebook, there is still a lack of clarity. I see a lot of statements from WhatsApp and general chatter regarding what data they will NOT be sharing. But I have yet to find any specificity on what exact data they WILL be sharing with Facebook. That is very strange and seems misdirecting.

Since WhatsApp notified customers, their users have been leaving in droves. Elon Musk recommended moving to Signal. Privacy advocates are reiterating what they have been saying for some time, to move to other platforms that are better known for respecting privacy. As of late, I am receiving alerts all the time that colleagues have joined Signal. I assume this recent wave is the result of a migration from WhatsApp. The story is in the news media rotation and more comments from privacy professionals are weighing in.

The bad press and customer abandonment has had an effect, as WhatsApp announced it would defer the implementation of the policy so it could better clarify and communicate that it was not a big deal. It has gone so far as to publish stories, interviews, and graphics which downplay the data sharing practice and emphasize what they do not share. But something is missing in all their messages: what they ARE now going to share.