WhatsApp CEO Sets The Record Straight With Respect To Data Collection And Privacy

WhatsApp Founder and CEO Jan Koum has dispelled doubts about escalation of Data Collection post the platform’s acquisition by Facebook.

CEO Jan Koum on Monday assured the world via an official blog post titled “Setting The Record Straight” that the internet based mobile instant messaging platform won’t start collecting more data about its users now that it has been acquired by Social Media platform Facebook. His official response was,

“There has been a lot of inaccurate and careless information about what our future partnership (with Facebook) would mean for WhatsApp users’ data and privacy … I’d like to set the record straight,”

It is quite apparent that Facebook collects a huge amount of personal data from its billion plus users. It admits to collecting the same to offer “a better Facebook experience”, but a huge majority of that data is reportedly used to fine–tune brand promotion campaigns and drive user engagement with the Facebook content pertaining to advertisement. With better and more relevant data in hand, Facebook is able to confidently demand higher charges to advertise on its platforms.

Facebook’s US$ 19 Billion acquisition has evoked many responses, many of which do not appear to be positive. Not just the US Authorities, but Indian Government too has decided to take the cautious approach. Most of all the users strongly felt now that WhatsApp belongs to Facebook, the latter will significantly control WhatsApp’s path.

However, on numerous occasions the founders have reassured the 465+ Million strong user base that the company will not allow advertising which needless to say is Facebook’s biggest revenue earner. But now Koum has gone ahead and even clarified that User Privacy is of utmost importance and it wouldn’t have gone ahead if they had to compromise,

“If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn’t have done it. Our fundamental values and beliefs will not change. Our principles will not change”

He further explained what it is, that WhatsApp doesn’t collect,

“Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA, and we built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible: You don’t have to give us your name and we don’t ask for your email address. We don’t know your birthday. We don’t know your home address. We don’t know where you work. We don’t know your likes, what you search for on the internet or collect your GPS location. None of that data has ever been collected and stored by WhatsApp, and we really have no plans to change that”

It is quite obvious that Facebook needs all of the aforementioned pieces of information to serve advertising that is relevant and has a higher chance of being offered a decent RoI. This raises the question: What is Facebook gaining apart from the 465+ Million user base?

Source | ToI

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