Responding to privacy concerns, WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum confirmed that Facebook’sacquisition of WhatsApp will not change the privacy policies of the messaging service.
Koum clarified that the service will not collect identifying information like GPS coordinates or email addresses, despite being owned by Facebook. Facebook is known for its liberal privacy policy that encourages people to share private data with each other and with the social network for advertising purposes.
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. Everything that has made WhatsApp the leader in personal messaging will still be in place.
Koum made it personal by pointing out that he and his family fled the USSR because of the fear that the KGB was monitoring all their communication. “Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA,” writes Koum. “And we built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible”
Do you use WhatsApp? Are you concerned about your privacy?
No comments:
Post a Comment