<p>After WhatsApp’s new contentious terms of service upset users, its parent company Facebook is planning engage in damage control in India, one of its most important markets, to assuage fears of privacy violation by the messaging app.</p>.<p>The social networking website will roll out ad campaigns, hold interactions with user groups and talks with government stakeholders, sources <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/facebook-plans-aggressive-outreach-to-allay-fears-of-whatsapp-users-121012100078_1.html">told</a> <em>Business Standard</em>.</p>.<p>Facebook wants to communicate to people that the new terms of service are only regarding users’ communication with 19 million business accounts that use the platform. WhatsApp will use the information that users send to merchant accounts only for business purposes. These purposes are limited to running ads on Instagram and Facebook. Personal chats and groups are encrypted and will not be violated, the company clarified.</p>.<p>Thousands of WhatsApp users pledged to leave WhatsApp for major rivals including Telegram and Signal messenger, alleging that the messaging app’s latest update violated their privacy.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/dont-join-whatsapp-if-you-dont-like-new-policy-delhi-high-court-940403.html">Read | Don't join WhatsApp if you don't like new policy: Delhi High Court</a></strong></p>.<p>In the two weeks that have followed the announcement, WhatsApp has been compelled to clarify on all its social media platforms, including WhatsApp’s own story-style status updates, that its chats are encrypted and cannot be seen by the company.</p>.<p>WhatsApp Global Head, Will Cathcart, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/whatsapp-global-head-says-usage-in-india-unhindered-by-unrest-over-privacy-policy-report-940706.html">said earlier this week</a> that there has been confusion in the communication and that WhatsApp champions user privacy. The company has pushed the update till May 15 amid confusion around it.</p>.<p>The Centre also asked Facebook to clarify its varying standards for privacy policy in Europe, where its more strict, and India. India’s proposed <span class="module__title__link">Personal Data Protection Bill </span>may bring some more restrictions on Facebook’s data storage and usage, borrowing points from the stringent Europe privacy law. Sources told the publication that WhatsApp’s privacy rules in India are the same as in the US.</p>.<p>Surveys have suggested that despite the unrest, WhatsApp has not seen a drop in usage in India, but there is a rising number of downloads for Telegram and Signal Messenger.</p>.<p>WhatsApp’s payments arm is also moving slowly in the Indian market amid tough competition from Google Pay and PhonePe.</p>
<p>After WhatsApp’s new contentious terms of service upset users, its parent company Facebook is planning engage in damage control in India, one of its most important markets, to assuage fears of privacy violation by the messaging app.</p>.<p>The social networking website will roll out ad campaigns, hold interactions with user groups and talks with government stakeholders, sources <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/facebook-plans-aggressive-outreach-to-allay-fears-of-whatsapp-users-121012100078_1.html">told</a> <em>Business Standard</em>.</p>.<p>Facebook wants to communicate to people that the new terms of service are only regarding users’ communication with 19 million business accounts that use the platform. WhatsApp will use the information that users send to merchant accounts only for business purposes. These purposes are limited to running ads on Instagram and Facebook. Personal chats and groups are encrypted and will not be violated, the company clarified.</p>.<p>Thousands of WhatsApp users pledged to leave WhatsApp for major rivals including Telegram and Signal messenger, alleging that the messaging app’s latest update violated their privacy.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/dont-join-whatsapp-if-you-dont-like-new-policy-delhi-high-court-940403.html">Read | Don't join WhatsApp if you don't like new policy: Delhi High Court</a></strong></p>.<p>In the two weeks that have followed the announcement, WhatsApp has been compelled to clarify on all its social media platforms, including WhatsApp’s own story-style status updates, that its chats are encrypted and cannot be seen by the company.</p>.<p>WhatsApp Global Head, Will Cathcart, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/whatsapp-global-head-says-usage-in-india-unhindered-by-unrest-over-privacy-policy-report-940706.html">said earlier this week</a> that there has been confusion in the communication and that WhatsApp champions user privacy. The company has pushed the update till May 15 amid confusion around it.</p>.<p>The Centre also asked Facebook to clarify its varying standards for privacy policy in Europe, where its more strict, and India. India’s proposed <span class="module__title__link">Personal Data Protection Bill </span>may bring some more restrictions on Facebook’s data storage and usage, borrowing points from the stringent Europe privacy law. Sources told the publication that WhatsApp’s privacy rules in India are the same as in the US.</p>.<p>Surveys have suggested that despite the unrest, WhatsApp has not seen a drop in usage in India, but there is a rising number of downloads for Telegram and Signal Messenger.</p>.<p>WhatsApp’s payments arm is also moving slowly in the Indian market amid tough competition from Google Pay and PhonePe.</p>
