New rules to open up your personal data to advertisers

Changes to the popular mobile phone application WhatsApp take full effect in Kenya from tomorrow when a 30-day window in sections of the recently revised terms and conditions expires.

The changes largely involve sharing some of your details with the social networking site Facebook, which bought WhatsApp for $16 billion (Sh1.6 trillion) in 2014.

WhatsApp is widely used in Kenya with a growing number of individual and group accounts.

It allows the sending of text messages, images and voice calls using data bundles or Wi-Fi connections.

Facebook, which has more than one billion users globally, remains the most popular social networking site locally.

Those who will not have agreed to the new terms risk being locked out of WhatsApp.

However, accepting the new terms does not mean Facebook will automatically access WhatsApp information as the user is given 30 days to okay or disable the sharing.

Experts say this could mean WhatsApp users who have Facebook accounts will start noticing more targeted advertising and wider suggestions of online friends.   

In a statement responding to enquiries from the Sunday Nation, Facebook said this is the first time it is making significant changes to WhatsApp since it acquired the messaging service.

“This is typical for companies that are acquired, but we are going above and beyond in giving existing users the choice to opt out of having Facebook use their WhatsApp information for improved ads and products experiences,” Facebook said on Friday through Idea Engineers, a public relations agency in South Africa.

The statement added: “We’re also letting people know that as part of Facebook, we’ll begin sharing some information that will allow us to co-ordinate more in the months ahead and improve experiences across services.”

For those who agreed to the new WhatsApp terms then chose not to share data, it will be Facebook as usual; but for those who chose to share, by tomorrow the decision cannot be immediately reversed.

DO NOT WORRY
New WhatsApp users from August 25 onwards have had to agree to the new terms and conditions, after which they can choose if they want to share their number and other details with Facebook.

If they choose to share, they cannot opt out 30 days after agreeing to the new terms.

Tech-savvy Kenyans interviewed by the Sunday Nation had varying perceptions on the impact of the change.

While some feared that accepting to share WhatsApp details with Facebook would be a breach of privacy, others said it is a normal thing for online businesses like Facebook.

An app developer, Joshua Mutua, one of the brains behind the Keja Hunt app, said there was no reason for panic that private messages would be shared because WhatsApp’s system makes messages unreadable to anybody who is not the sender or the intended recipient.

He said the only major shift is that WhatsApp intends to give improved services to businesspeople and not to snoop on its users.

“I do not think they would lie about encryption. Any company that is worth its salt cannot lie about a sensitive thing like encryption,” he said.

However, technology expert Samson Wanjohi, who has created ShulePro software for managing school records, is suspicious about Facebook’s intentions.

“WhatsApp tells you that the data which you send is encrypted and cannot be read by the staff. They are specifically talking of the staff, not the machines or the algorithms that decide what to show you... But the algorithms that decide what kind of advertisements you’ll see will probably have access to that information,” said Mr Wanjohi.

In a blog post about the recent policy changes, WhatsApp says it is interested in exploring ways in which users can communicate with businesses.

“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,” it says.

“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.”

IMPROVED SERVICE
Banner ads are common in many free apps, where information about a product flashes on the screen while the app is running.

In its statement to our queries, the technology giant said data shared from WhatsApp can in future be used to change users’ experience not only on Facebook but also on the online platforms owned by Facebook — which include Instagram, Masquerade, Parse and Oculus.

“If you are an existing user as of August 25, 2016, you can choose whether Facebook can use your WhatsApp account information to improve your ads and products experiences across the Facebook family of apps and services,” Facebook said.

It added: “If you choose to opt out, this means Facebook won’t be able to suggest friends or improve the ads you see based on your WhatsApp number.”

In a blog post published last month, Facebook said: “We plan to share some information with Facebook and the Facebook family of companies that will allow us to co-ordinate more, such as to fight spam and abuse, and improve experiences across our services and those of Facebook and the Facebook family.”