Whats up with Whatsapp

04th September 2016
Whats up with Whatsapp

Bangalore, September 4 2016:  The web is abuzz with news of changes in the way the instant messaging app Whatspp will work in future. They flow from an announcement by the company that we reproduce in full  below. We also carry reactions from two industry voices

Whatsapp statement: Today, we’re updating WhatsApp’s terms and privacy policy for the first time in four years, as part of our plans to test ways for people to communicate with businesses in the months ahead. The updated documents also reflect that we’ve joined Facebook and that we've recently rolled out many new features, like end-to-end encryption,WhatsApp Calling, and messaging tools like WhatsApp for web and desktop. You can read the full documents [https://www.whatsapp.com/legal].
People use our app every day to keep in touch with the friends and loved ones who matter to them, and this isn't changing. But as we announced earlier this year, we want to explore ways for you to communicate with *businesses* that matter to you too, while still giving you an experience without third-party banner ads and spam. Whether it's hearing from your bank about a potentially fraudulent transaction, or getting notified by an airline about a delayed flight, many of us get this information elsewhere, including in text messages and phone calls. We want to test these features in the next several months, but need to update our terms and privacy policy to do so.We're also updating these documents to make clear that we've rolled out end-to-end encryption. When you and the people you message are using the latest version of WhatsApp, your messages are encrypted by default, which means you're the only people who can read them. Even as we coordinate more with Facebook in the months ahead, your encrypted messages stay private and no one else can read them. Not WhatsApp, not Facebook, nor anyone else. We won’t post or share your WhatsApp number with others, including on Facebook, and we still won't sell, share, or give your phone number to advertisers.
But by coordinating more with Facebook, we'll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp. And by connecting your phone number with Facebook's systems, Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them. For example, you might see an ad from a company you already work with, rather than one from someone you've never heard of. You can learn more, including how to control the use of your data, here

Analysis from Industry:
Ajit Patel, CEO & Founder of n-gage app

WhatsApp’s new privacy policy; should you stilluse it or switch to better options?Does this mean that I will have to face a barrage of marketing service related messages on WhatsApp? What happens if my personal details land in the wrong hands? Will my number be shared with all the marketers?These are the common concerns voiced by more than a billion WhatsApp users since the recent amendment to its policy. The reason for this uproar is because in today’s world, your mobile number is your identity and it is integrated to almost all the critical applications, from banking, travel,  and more importantly the Aadhar Card, which is India’s answer to the Social Security Number. More than a billion WhatsApp users are facing one or the other questions, some are bothered and some are not, but the fact of the matter is that WhatsApp has clearly betrayed the trust of its users by deciding to share their mobile number with Facebook. No matter how WhatsApp try to defend the decision, the fact remains that WhatsApp users’ privacy has come under serious threat with the new dictate.
When WhatsApp announced its end to end encryption, it was natural to assume that they were now focusing on their users’ privacy. However, this recent announcement has certainly overthrown what should have been the application’s natural move to introduce privacy features for its users. With the media constantly inundating us on the dangers and threats of personal data being abused by companies and more importantly the friends we send messages to, we are dedicated to tackle the issue of privacy. This is why we have developed 13 privacy features, each providing the user with control and a unique way to prevent abuse of personal data and messages But technology is fast evolving and there are many chat apps today, which are more competitive and feature rich than WhatsApp and will remain ad free for many years. One app which has taken user privacy to another level is n-gage.
 www.n-gage.com  a lifestyle Messenger app, was recently launched in India
Steven Sammut Chief Operations Officer at HAUD
Having dominated the P2P messaging market, it was only a matter of time until WhatsApp try claim part of the A2P messaging space.  The announcement that WhatsApp will begin to share more data with Facebook to allow companies to send messages to users is something that mobile operators should keep tabs on, as most have successfully carved out considerable revenue streams from allowing organisations to quickly and reliably reach key consumer audiences. 
 It will take a lot to dislodge SMS’s position as a vital ubiquitous delivery road for A2P messages. This new WhatsApp functionality could however increase the volumes by bringing in traffic that would otherwise use other routes like email. WhatsApp will probably take a slice of the cake, but it may also bring more cake to the party.
Malta headquartered HAUD provides mobile network operators (MNOs) with a complete security service.