WhatsApp to begin sharing phone numbers with Facebook

By Barry Eitel

SAN FRANCISCO (AA) – Messaging app WhatsApp announced Thursday that it would begin sharing some personal information of its users, including phone numbers, with Facebook, which bought the company in 2014 for $19 billion.

WhatsApp has earned the respect of many users by dedicating itself to privacy, including utilizing end-to-end encryption for messages sent on the service. According to the company, the decision to share user data with Facebook stemmed from a desire to better connect businesses with users. WhatsApp also believes the coordination will help the company improve the overall experience of its users.

The move is the first time the company has changed its terms and privacy policy in four years.

“By coordinating more with Facebook, we'll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp,” the company noted in a blog post outlining the decision. “And by connecting your phone number with Facebook's systems, Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them.”

For examples, WhatsApp claimed the data sharing would allow banks to contact users about potentially fraudulent transactions or an airline notifying travelers about a delayed flight. The company reiterated that privacy is still a focus and the app would not share user information in order to target banner ads or spam.

“Even as we coordinate more with Facebook in the months ahead, your encrypted messages stay private and no one else can read them,” the company said. “Not WhatsApp, not Facebook, nor anyone else. We won’t post or share your WhatsApp number with others, including on Facebook, and we still won't sell, share, or give your phone number to advertisers.”

Still, the change was met with skepticism by users.

“Privacy is pretty much a lost battle these days,” Amit Paranjape, a technology entrepreneur in India and the U.S., tweeted about the news.

Technology websites are publishing information on how to avoid having to share personal information with Facebook, indicating that the user will have a say in how their private information is handled despite the company's decision.