Privacy fears over WhatsApp change

The Privacy Commissioner has voiced concern over WhatsApp's new user terms, which requires users to share a substantial amount of personal data with Facebook.

Instant messaging application WhatsApp announced new terms and conditions that go into effect from February 8. To continue using the messaging app, users must agree to its new policy, which authorizes WhatsApp to share personal data including users' phone numbers, transaction data, mobile device information and IP address with its parent company Facebook.

Other information - account names, contacts, messages, status, and user activity - may be shared as well. Facebook can also get information about users' devices, connections, location and payment data. Chat content won't be affected as there is end-to-end encryption.

The move aims to collect users' details from WhatsApp, bringing data exchange between Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

It will help them push advertisements and other services more accurately.

"Users should consider, in particular, whether they are willing to transfer their personal data to companies associated with the messaging app for storage and use," said Ada Chung Lai-ling, Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.

She added that WhatsApp users should back up their personal data if they choose not to consent.

Wong Ho-wa, a democrat Election Committee member, said users' privacy in WhatsApp is not protected.

"I am worried that Facebook would use personal information for advertising purposes, or even sharing them with law enforcers."

Wong encouraged the public to use other instant messaging applications such as Telegram and Signal, which handle personal information more securely.

Downloads of instant messaging application Signal have surged over the past few days as people look for alternatives to WhatsApp.

Signal, run by a non-profit organization, Signal Foundation, whose selling point is privacy, tops the list of free social networking apps on Apple's App Store in Hong Kong as well as other regions including India, Germany, France and Switzerland.

Celebrity power is at play too - Elon Musk, cofounder and CEO of Tesla and Facebook critic, tweeted "Use Signal," to his 41.5 million followers last week.

A lot of people started using Signal and Telegram when the anti-fugitive bill protests started in 2019. Downloads went up further after the national security law came into effect amid worries about chat records being tapped by law enforcers.

There are two billion active users for WhatsApp globally.