Whatsapp’s New Privacy Terms: Data Protection And Privacy Laws In South Africa
By Caitlin Naidoo, Centurion Law Group
In January 2021, WhatsApp announced that it would be altering its privacy terms to share data with Facebook causing panic among WhatsApp users. Users that want to continue using WhatsApp’s services have no choice but to agree to these new privacy terms.
WhatsApp is a messaging platform used globally as an alternative to normal SMS or device-specific texting platforms such as iMessage or BBM, hence the hysteria causing millions of users to flee to alternative platforms such as Signal and Telegram. Much of the concern over these new privacy terms is due to a lack of understanding from the general public regarding privacy laws, particularly in relation to the internet and social media. Many people were under the impression tha...