Commentary: What’s behind the outrage over Whatsapp’s new terms and conditions

SINGAPORE: If you’re reading this after someone shared it over WhatsApp, or its parent company Facebook’s social media network, I don’t blame you. Change is hard.

Despite all the bad news that has surrounded WhatsApp’s changes to its privacy policy this past week, many people you see on the messaging service will still be sharing pictures and updating friends about their lives with it.

A report on respected technology site, Ars Technica, last week revealed that WhatsApp is forcing people to accept its sharing of personal data such as their phone number and profile name with Facebook, something they could opt out of previously.

That’s sure to raise eyebrows, if you consider the poor reputation Facebook has had of late. 

The social media network has been blamed for influencing American elections and even helping to spread the misinformation that culminated in an unprecedented riot at the United States Capitol last week.

READ: WhatsApp stresses privacy as users flock to rivals Telegram and Signal

So, why are so many of your friends and family still using WhatsApp? This is down to network effects, which mean that the usefulness of a service is determined by the number of people using it.

WhatsApp had 2 billion users before the massive spike in downloads for rival messaging services Telegram and Signal this week. It takes time and more importantly, effort, for these users to move.

Perhaps more important is the conflicting information that has been shared on WhatsApp’s new privacy policies, by both news sites and the company itself.