WhatsApp promises to make its usage terms less confusing

You may recall last year sometime when WhatsApp had new terms that stated it would share your private data with the sister app, Facebook. When users complained and the the EU Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network stepped in, parent company Meta released a confusing policy on how that data would be used. It seems like the EU Commission has spoken to them again, as they’re going out of their way to make sure we understand what’s happening.
A new press release that the EU Commission posted highlights the new Meta WhatsApp promise. It speaks about how the company will do its best to completely comply with the EU rules and be more transparent and clearer on the rules of engagement. Mostly, it states that the data-sharing concept will only apply to businesses and not individuals.
https://twitter.com/EU_Commission/status/1632735258180218882
Even if the option becomes available to WhatsApp individuals, you’ll see a message displayed that you can opt in or out of the feature. It’s mainly beneficial for businesses, as they can then share information about their products with group members and quickly find them on Facebook. However, there are many users who would still prefer to keep their contacts and data private for personal reasons.
I was just discussing how our chats appear to be watched with a friend the other day. It was meant in a half-hearted humoristic paranoid way, but there was a sense of seriousness in it. We were discussing old apps that used to take our photos and tell us how old we look. The next day, a similar topic suddenly became trending on Google and Facebook.
I’m not saying I’m important enough for someone to spy on, but there are so many other examples I can give. I feel it’s a given that our chats are monitored and shared anyway, no matter how private companies like Meta and WhatsApp say they are. In any event, we should have clearer policies soon that tell us exactly what WhatsApp plans to do with shared data…if we can believe them.
Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.
He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.
Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?
Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?
Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.
The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.
It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.
> The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…
Sadly, I have to agree.
Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.
If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!
We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.
because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…
“Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.
How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.
Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.
Sorry posted on the wrong page.
such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time
I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.
I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S
Quoting the article,
“As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”
Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?
I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.
@John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]
This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.
> Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.
Firefox did this long before Safari.
Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.