13/01/2021
Is it just a case of don't tell me what to do? Let's face it - the only reason most of us even paid attention to WhatsApp's new policy in the first place, is because it came with an ultimatum - "Accept our new policy, or else"... It's the sheer size of mark Zuckerberg's balls, which caused this msunery.
The public at large is not as perturbed as we should be about the collection of information, tracking across apps, and websites. We have been consenting to it since way back when it was cool to sing along to Freshlyground's "Doo be doo, be, doo be doo, bye-yeah". We understood that these companies relied on advertising to generate revenue and in exchange for access to social media platforms at no cost, we consistently consent for app developers to snoop around a little so the advertising we see is relatable to us.
So why the ultimatum Mark? in late 2020 Apple announced a new anti-tracking privacy software update (iOS 14) that would force app companies to request your permission through a pop-up notification before tracking your activities. Facebook responded with a PR campaign painting Apple as the bad guys, and insisting that we the users and small businesses would ultimately suffer if the proposed anti-tracking was implemented by Apple. A campaign we were all too busy trying not to die from Covid to notice.
As such it would appear that consumers are caught in the middle of a Mexican standoff between Facebook and Apple. A standoff Facebook intends to end by bullying the users, with threats of discontinued service. Net vir daai ding, I have chosen to stop using Whatsapp from the 8th of February, they can keep it.
So What's Next!
- Boycotting Whatsapp, for sharing information with Facebook doesn't make sense. Instagram and Facebook have been sharing your information for ages now. I am surprised it's taken this long for the company to put this policy in place actually. Many other apps, like Tinder and even websites, collect information, and track your activities. So let's focus on the real problem.
It's not about accepting, the policy - it's the ultimatum, it sets a terrible precedent for Whatsapp, Facebook, and many companies like them and if this ultimatum is successful we can expect for this to be the norm in our very near future.
- If you are concerned about the data social media companies like Facebook collect on you and have a lot of time on your hands - you can request it from them and review it. Most companies will share it with you and have mechanisms in place for you to request it.
You should know what's in the sausage you eat! For a long time, it seems privacy, and data collection was simply not a public concern. This even after streaming programs such as "The Social Dilemma" and "The great hack" demonstrated the level of information we, the greater public consent to sharing on a daily basis. but this is a discussion for another day.
