Tech Tip Tuesday - Turning off the new Feature that shares your WhatsApp Account Information with Facebook

Hi guys! It has certainly been a while. During this long period of time that has passed, WhatsApp has brought out a new update and while there might seem to be nothing interesting about this new update, it would seem it might affect the so-called privacy we get on Whatsapp.

On upgrading to this new update version, you are expected to agree to their new terms of conditions. Most of us do not read the terms and conditions. I know I am guilty of it. Most times, they are way too lengthy to go through and I don't have the patience to go through it. If it so happened that in that piece of document, we were being asked if we wanted to be sold into slavery, we wouldn't even know and we would voluntarily agree to it.

Anyways, in this new terms and conditions, once you have agreed, WhatsApp has the authority to share your account information with Facebook for the purpose to improving your ad experiences and product preferences. In order words, it would be used to specify the ads that appear or are displayed on your page when you log in to Facebook.

Please Note:
The information being shared with Facebook are not your chats. It is your account information and the purpose is to improve your ad experiences. The information that is being shared is shared with and not on Facebook. This post is not to be confused with broadcasts that have been going about saying otherwise.

Given the above information, if you are comfortable with this and don't have any objections with Facebook partnering up with WhatsApp in finding another legal way of listening in on you, then this is not for you.

However, if you have reservations about this new feature and you want to turn it off you can do so. You also have to do it quickly because by the end of September you won't have the opportunity to do so anymore.

How then do you do turn off this feature if you want to?
When you open your WhatsApp application, go to your Settings. Under Settings, head over to your Account menu button with the key icon on it and tap on it. Normally you would have 4 options under this. But with this new update there is a fifth option. It is usually checked once you agree to the new terms and conditions. Turn it off by unchecking the box i.e tap on the checked box to remove the Nike-like mark. You would receive a prompt asking if you really want to do that. If you are really sure you want to do that, select the option that agrees and it is turned off. Once it is turned off, you don't see that option again in your Account menu. That way, you have turned off this feature successfully.

Hope we have learnt something new today? If you did share it and comment too. Your comments and shares are highly appreciated and welcomed. See you next time.