WhatsApp, Facebook link no threat: Expert

Manama : Sharing of information with Facebook does not pose significant privacy threat to WhatsApp users, according to tech expert Ravi Jayasundera.

The smartphone application came under scrutiny after its owners recently announced that it will be sharing user information with its parent company, Facebook. 

Even though information is shared with Facebook for many reasons, the major objective is to show more relevant advertisements to the user 

All Facebook companies  continue to use WhatsApp data for other purposes even though the latter users can choose to not let Facebook use their account information by un-checking the ‘Share my account’ info box under the ‘Account’ section.

“The ‘Facebook family’  will still receive and use this information for other purposes such as improving infrastructure and delivery systems, understanding how our services or theirs are used, securing systems, and fighting spam, abuse, or infringement activities.” WhatsApp said on its website. The ‘Facebook family’ includes Atlas, Instagram, Onavo, Parse, Moves, Oculus, LiveRail and Masquerade. 

In an interview with DT News yesterday, Jayasundera explained why the changes do not pose significant privacy concerns. “Firstly, if you already have a Facebook account,  Facebook knows quite a bit of information about you. 

“With these changes, Facebook will collect your phone number and connect the Facebook and WhatsApp accounts,” he said 

This sharing of information will enable Facebook to know more details about the user, his/her friends, and details of the mobile device such as the software used. 

“One factor of concern is that there is a possibility of third parties being able to send messages which may be annoying,” he said. 

When asked if the ‘targeted advertising’ that Facebook is trying to achieve using WhatsApp will have any benefit to the user, he said, “Like two sides of the coin, targeted advertising has its benefits and drawbacks. Benefits include displaying more relevant ads. Annoying pop-ups will be the major drawback.

“From another perspective, the company generates more revenue through the advertisements. A part of the revenue is channelled  to enhance the product, hence making  more advanced tools/features available.”

However, he remarked that tech companies have been known to compromise users privacy. “There have been past instances where regional bodies have confronted major companies with respect to privacy concerns, such as the European Union’s criticism of Google, as well in the United Kingdom and the United States. This shows that if there are real concerns, they should not be merely accepted, but be reviewed and investigated by governments,” he said.