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#OFMBusinessHour: Expert weighs in on WhatsApp privacy policy as deadline looms

───   20:44 Thu, 13 May 2021

#OFMBusinessHour: Expert weighs in on WhatsApp privacy policy as deadline looms | News Article

WhatsApp users have a few days left to agree to the social media platform’s controversial privacy policy.

In light of this development, the OFM Business Hour team spoke to the Chief Executive Officer at LAWtrust, Maeson Maherry, to find out if businesses can learn anything from the handling of the privacy policy by Facebook and WhatsApp, especially with South Africa’s own Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act) also coming into effect in the next two months.

According to Maherry, Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 in an over $20 billion standalone deal, and it was a matter of time before Facebook would start looking into introducing revenue-generating methods - hence this privacy policy. The LAWtrust CEO maintains that whilst there is a great deal of criticism directed at the social platforms for the move, the policy itself isn’t all doom and gloom.

He says the policy aims to transition WhatsApp into a “smoother integrated service” especially for businesses. In this way companies can engage clients on a platform they are familiar with and eventually, the plan is to offer payment services via WhatsApp. The problem, however, is that Facebook does not have a great track record in terms of looking after people’s personal information. Maherry says this is what South African businesses need to be cognisant of, especially with the POPI Act coming into effect, because serious penalties can be imposed should clients' personal information not be well taken care of.

The LAWtrust CEO says the situation was worsened by the ultimatum that was handed down to WhatsApp users regarding the aforementioned policy. He says businesses need to approach such matters with a greater deal of sensitivity.

Irrespective of which side of the debate you fall, May 15 remains the deadline to agree to the new policy or find yourself unable to utilise certain features on WhatsApp.


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