WhatsApp has changed its privacy policy. Once you update the app, you’ll notice a notification on the transition. WhatsApp has announced that it will now be sharing data with its owner — Facebook. The data will be used for ad targeting purposes for Facebook — and all of the companies it owns.

“By coordinating more with Facebook, we’ll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp,” WhatsApp reported on its blog. Also according to the app, “Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them. For example, you might see an ad from a company you already work with, rather than one from someone you’ve never heard of.”

How Will Marketers Benefit?

Now that WhatsApp is sharing data with Facebook, all of your personal conversations will now become data rich content for Facebook. If you are a marketer, you should be excited. There are huge amounts of conversations that go on in WhatsApp. While people may not post about their interests on Facebook, they certainly talk about it on WhatsApp. You’ll now be able to target ads to people who may not post on social, but who talk openly about topics of interest in messenger apps like WhatsApp.

If you aren’t a marketer, or just don’t want to have your information used this way, there’s an option to opt out on WhatsApp’s privacy policy. You can read the full WhatsApp privacy policy here.

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By Jarrell Chalmers

Jarrell Chalmers is the owner of social media consulting business: Jarrell-Chalmers.com. He graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Political Science and Entrepreneurship and earned his marketing chops by starting his own clothing line. Keep up with Jarrell on Instagram.

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