Mexico.- Given the controversy over the new personal data processing policies on WhatsApp, Luis Ángel Hurtado Razo, professor at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences (FCPyS) of UNAM, recommended to continue using this application; since if you also have an account on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, the data continues to be transferred to these socio-digital networks.
He said that the idea of someone getting into the common thread of communications on WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram and posting them is wrong, it’s a myth.
Hurtado Razo explained that it is an algorithm (set of instructions or rules to solve a problem) that will translate these talks to store them on a server.
“The problem we have with WhatsApp is the privacy policy. The phenomenon of vulnerability of the three social networks of the conglomerate of Mark Zuckerberg became known when an English company, better known as Cambridge Analytica, revealed in 2016 or 2017 the leak of personal data that we dropped in these applications, ”he explained.
READ WhatsApp postpones changes to its privacy policies
The university explained that the subject of personal data does not refer to names, addresses or telephone numbers; but rather to the actions that users of these socio-digital networks take, such as clicking on “like” a publication or entering games that invite us to know which character we are from such a film, series or television program according to our personality, because from there, a person’s “fingerprint” is configured.
He added that information was leaked every day in this way, and Facebook that does not prevent it. The uncertainty lies in the assumption of its protection; In other words, where will they be stored, according to what criteria, or whether a third-party company may violate them, such as the scandal that occurred following the Cambridge Analytica announcement.
“It’s also a myth that stopping using WhatsApp guarantees privacy, because the internet does not secure our data and it is latent to be public. It is a fact that applications such as Telegram, Signal or others offer to prioritize privacy through functions such as self-destruction of messages or refusal of screenshots, but the real key is in the configuration of all. these applications and if we continue without using it, our information will continue to be exposed, ”he stressed.
Difficult numbers
According to recent data from the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT), until February 2020, around 83 million people in Mexico had access to the network; of these, around 82 million had a Facebook account; the second most used application was WhatsApp, with a total of 74 to 76 million users.
On January 11, 2021, Telegram announced that it has around 500 million users worldwide. The company reported that in our country there was an average migration of 10 million people following the announcement of changes in WhatsApp privacy policies.
What can we do?
The digital political communication expert pointed out that if you want to have privacy, you should not use the Internet, as the user is always exposed individually, in business or in government.
For this reason, he recommended that you think carefully about what is going to be shared in the digital space and carefully review social media privacy policies before opening an account or downloading an app.
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