Users pay with personal data – Kaspersky on WhatsApp move to share data with Facebook

Messaging app WhatsApp has asked its two billion users to accept new terms and conditions that will allow the platform to share more information with parent company Facebook and roll out advertising and e-commerce. The update sparked criticism among users as they must accept the changes or see their access to the service – which also allows encrypted voice and video calls – cut off from Feb 8. According to Kaspersky, the update is another example of users having to pay with their data in order to use “free” services. “Nothing is truly free, and, unfortunately, the current business model for free services means that, essentially, we pay with our data,” says Anna Larkina, senior researcher at Kaspersky. Larkina says social networks, some messengers and search engines make money off of advertising, and the more personalised it is the better.  “In fact, Facebook and other companies have been doing this through its services for the past few years,” she says. “The good news is that 1) Most of the companies, including Facebook, are being transparent about its policies and 2) WhatsApp doesn’t read your conversations because it includes end-to-end encryption. All they’re tracing is technical and account information.” Moving forward,…
Read More