On January 12, instant messaging company WhatsApp announced on its official media that under its new privacy policy, private messages exchanged through the application will remain protected through end-to-end encryption.
The popular app recently found itself in controversy for announcing a new privacy policy that allows it to share user information with third-party apps, including its parent company Facebook. Subsequently, many users expressed privacy concerns and started looking for more secure alternatives to the app, such as Signal and Telegram.
In a post on Twitter, WhatsApp said: “We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption.”
WhatsApp clarified the the app cannot see users’ private messages or hear calls, and neither can Facebook. It also stated it cannot retain messaging and call logs, and neither WhatsApp or Facebook can see locations shared on the app. WhatsApp maintained that it does not share user contacts with Facebook, and WhatsApp groups remain private. Users can also set messages to disappear, and download their own data, it added.
