WhatsApp users beware — Facebook still has access!

Recently WhatsApp received huge backlash regarding its change in privacy policy which soon gave way to people wondering how they could protect their data from being shared with other businesses. Then came news that put the users at ease: simply check the opt out feature in account setting in WhatsApp. This provided relief to all the panicked users.

However, here is something that users should know. Despite opting out of sharing data, it turns out that Facebook will still have access to all your personal information including your phone number, your phone’s model and much more!

While opting out does stop WhatsApp sending information to Facebook for “ads and products experiences”, it does not mean that Facebook won’t be able to use information about who people are talking to for its advertising.

So basically, this means that even though Facebook won’t be sharing these personal details for ads WhatsApp will give your contact details to Facebook for purposes other than ads even if you opt out, a WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed, contradicting reports that users can choose not to share details such as their phone number.

The choice is limited to whether or not Facebook can use your information for relevant ads and suggesting people you can friend.