WhatsApp has brought privacy concerns back into public scrutiny after announcing changes on the use of personal data for marketing purposes. These changes urged WhatsApp’s current users to call for a massive shift to another E2E encrypted messages apps such as Signal or Telegram.
How does the new privacy policy works as a marketing tool?
WhatsApp is a platform that is owned by Mike Zuckerberg along with Facebook, and Instagram. The new policies aims to make profitable uses of personal data by categorizing users under different segmentations. The segmentation will allow other platforms that are connected to WhatsApp to present more relevant ads to users based on analyzed data.
Does it affect everyone?
The new changes in policy will not let WhatsApp to access personal conversations between private entities wether it is between two persons or a group chat. However, it will allow access to conversation and data used between any business account and their conversation when contacting private entities. It is important to note that private entities will have the option to accept or ignore a conversation with business based accounts.
Why is it still a massive concern over privacy?
Social media has taken crucial roles in businesses growth because they provide convenient channels to connect with customers and that includes public institutions such as hospitals, clinics, schools etc… The use of encrypted messaging apps for health and educational organizations may not be common in some cultures but is it surprisingly popular in some others. In fact, some Public institutions have already replaced emails with WhatsApp business number as a major channels to connect with their patients. For instance, some medical departments` in King Fahd University hospital in Khobar does not have any way other than WhatsApp numbers to manage appointments (see picture 1-1).
Another example is a health insurance company that uses whatsapp for business as a channel to engage with patients (see picture 1-2)
In today’s populations, everyone is used to keep connected through one of the social media platforms. These platforms are even replacing paid services provided by telecom company. For instance, WhatsApp has became the alternative of using the short-messages telecom based service ‘SMS’ around the world. today, WhatsApp is the top option in many cultures around the globe (see picture 1-3).
The importance of WhatsApp comes due to its usefulness as a secured texting app that replaced a paid service and instead provides a quality service for free. The more the users makes the app a much fertile environment for business activities such as marketing, advertising, and data analysis.
What happens when users don’t agree on changes in privacy policy?
well, social media platforms should understand that they are dealing with a different type of audience. Native digital, which is the generation that grows up around advanced technology. When users have concerns over their privacy they usually move as clusters or an act of massive emigration to another platform that provides similar service!!