WhatsApp and the Great Privacy Controversy

There are many, many users upset with WhatsApp right now. And that's being generous. As the weeks go by, some of these users have started moving over to rival messaging services. The noise on Twitter has been deafening.

Et tu, WhatsApp?

And it's all down to WhatsApp's latest controversial decision, announced on 25th August - to share collected user phone numbers with its parent company, Facebook.

Back when Facebook acquired WhatsApp, founder Jan Koum reassured the current user base that WhatsApp was as committed to data privacy as ever. The users, rightly or wrongly, see this move as betrayal. Even users who don't have a Facebook account (and therefore aren't affected) don't seem to approve much of this.

Maybe it's the principle of the thing, eh?

WhatsApp has mitigated the blow by offering an opt-out to users who wish to keep their WhatsApp and Facebook accounts separate, though if you want to do so, you'd better hustle. There's a 30-day window to do it, and the window's closing by the day. Not that I think it'll make an ounce of difference. According to some news sources, WhatsApp will still be sharing information with Facebook, for, y'know, better integration.

What's with all the angst?

I'm looking upon all this outrage with bemusement. Sure, I get it. Privacy is important. Sure, this could be considered a dick move. And yes, I'm not exactly thrilled about the turn of events. And I'm aware that Facebook and WhatsApp face some kind of legal inquiry from the Federal Trade Commission over this very issue.

But can anyone honestly tell me this wasn't expected? Come on.

From the day WhatsApp gave up its autonomy to Facebook, this was always par for the course. I've said this before here, and I'll say it again: Facebook is not a charity. It is a business entity. The purpose of its existence is not to provide us with free apps for life. There's a catch. There's always a catch.

Know how much Facebook paid to acquire WhatsApp back then? A whopping 22 billion USD.

How much did we pay for our Facebook accounts? How about our WhatsApp accounts? I don't know about you, but to date, I've paid a big fat zero. And you know what they say about free lunches. (Hint: They hail from the same hometown as Santa Claus) Facebook doesn't charge us to have an account, or to use WhatsApp. But it does have to make some kind of profit, and in this case, it will probably come in the form of advertising dollars as the data is shared with marketers who wish to push their products.

But Jan Koum said...

Yes, I'm aware of what he said. In fact, I'll reproduce it below.

"If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn’t have done it. Instead, we are forming a partnership that would allow us to continue operating independently and autonomously. Our fundamental values and beliefs will not change. Our principles will not change."

This was said two years ago. What's happened since then? JavaScript came up with several exciting new frameworks. Tech companies rose and fell. Yahoo and LinkedIn are being sold. Windows 10 emerged on the market. Should I go on? The thing is, in the tech business, change happens all the damn time, and happens at a scary rate. You adapt or die. Do we really want to hold Koum to something he said two entire years ago?

Other messager apps

Don't like it? Still miffed? Want to stick to those principles? There are always other messaging services. Or you could simply delete your Facebook account to make a point. You'll live.

Good chat, folks. Ping you again sometime.
T___T