WhatsApp to start sharing phone numbers with Facebook

As if Facebook didn't have enough information about us already...

From Thursday 25 August, many people's contact details will be handed over to Facebook to send messages to future customers. Whatsapp users will be notified of the change to the private policy as Facebook will be able to target audiences better with advertisements. According to The Guardian, Facebook users will get a choice in whether they want to be targeted by ads or not, but as Facebook is Whatsapp's parent company, we have no choice in our data being shared with the social media website. A spokesperson for Whatsapp commented on the new exchange of data which will see people being targeted more specifically with ads.

"We want to explore ways for you to communicate with businesses that matter to you too, while still giving you an experience without third-party banner ads and spam. "Whether it’s hearing from your bank about a potentially fraudulent transaction, or getting notified by an airline about a delayed flight, many of us get this information elsewhere, including in text messages and phone calls."

This information will be used to gauge how people interact with ads, however Facebook have insisted that names of people who interact will not be given to advertisers. Facebook and Whatsapp accounts are said to remain separate, with the Messenger app and Instagram's photo-sharing service to be unaffected by this change.

"We won’t post or share your WhatsApp number with others, including on Facebook, and we still won’t sell, share, or give your phone number to advertisers."