Since WhatsApp is the largest messaging platform in the world right now, many users would like to know how much data they have on them. Its ownership by Meta creates an even greater cause for concern due to the fact that it’s the kind of thing that could potentially end up increasing the chances of something untoward happening. To improve transparency, WhatsApp has started offering users the option to request all the information the company has about their accounts.
With all of that said and now out of the way, it’s important to note that WhatsApp isn’t exactly doing this out of the goodness of its heart. European privacy regulations, collectively known as GDRP, necessitated this change, and although the app has allowed users to request information through the app for some time now, the same functionality was not offered to desktop users.
Turns out WhatsApp beta testers noticed an upcoming change that will finally bring this feature to desktop users as well. WhatsApp is clearly trying to turn its desktop app into a more convenient option that incorporates all the features that make the app so popular, and this is another step that suggests everything has been considered and taken care of.
Users will be able to find out what information WhatsApp has about their activities, the privacy settings they have chosen, the device they are using, and their contact list. This change will certainly help users trust WhatsApp more, but despite that, we’ll have to wait for it to roll out as it’s currently only available for beta testers.
This reveals how useful government oversight can be, as it forces companies to operate much more ethically. Without this oversight, there’s little chance WhatsApp would have taken the initiative itself, especially since so many users didn’t know how often it violated their privacy.
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