WhatsApp won’t withdraw new ToS; says biz features important to keep it free

“We also think it’s important people know how we can provide WhatsApp for free. Every day millions of people start a WhatsApp chat with a business because it’s easier to do so than placing a phone call or exchanging emails. We charge businesses to provide customer service on WhatsApp – not people,” the company said in a blog post.

Further, the company is updating how its new terms of service are communicated to users.

Instead of a screen that takes over the users’ phone’s screen, WhatsApp will now display a small banner on the app, directing users to read more about the update. This directs users towards two new screens, which detail how the update affects their usage of WhatsApp. The company will “eventually” start reminding people to accept the new updates to “keep using WhatsApp”, which go into effect on May 15.

“We believe people are looking for apps to be both reliable and safe, even if that requires WhatsApp having some limited data. We strive to be thoughtful on the decisions we make and we’ll continue to develop new ways of meeting these responsibilities with less information, not more,” the company said.

The update also details how data is used by various parties involved. While WhatsApp’s new terms do involve Facebook as a solutions provider for businesses, the company maintains that it or its parent do not get access to personal chats, or any others. According to the company, the new ToS do not change what data it can access and what it retains, and interactions with businesses will be available only to said businesses for further use, as opposed to being used to targeted advertising by Facebook.

The world’s largest messaging platform has faced widespread criticism since updating its terms of service last month. The Indian government also wrote to the company, asking it to withdraw its new ToS. “As you may be aware, the Personal Data Protection Bill, which is being discussed by a Joint Committee of the Parliament, is focused on the core value of purpose limitation in the processing of personal data. As per the changes to the WhatsApp Privacy Policy, any information shared with any Facebook Company can be used for an expansive variety of purposes, which may not be reasonably expected by users of WhatsApp,” the government said in a letter.

The company is also facing a case in the Supreme Court on the issue. The court gave WhatsApp four weeks to file an affidavit stating it wouldn’t share users’ data, on February 16. “You may be a two or three trillion-dollar company, but protecting people’s privacy is more important,” the court said.