WhatsApp Updates Tab Supplemental Privacy Policy

Key updates:

We’ve updated the WhatsApp Channels Supplemental Privacy Policy to become the Updates Tab Privacy Policy, which supplements the WhatsApp Privacy Policy. The updates include:

• Name and scope of this Privacy Policy: The WhatsApp Updates Tab Supplemental Privacy Policy replaces the Channels Supplemental Privacy Policy, and expands its scope to cover the full Updates Tab, rather than just Channels.
• Channel Subscriptions. Channel Admins can set up a subscription and get paid monthly for sharing Channel Updates with subscribers.
• Ads in the Updates Tab (e.g., Channels and Status). We are introducing ads to the Updates Tab, home of Channels and Status. For example, Channel Admins will now be able to pay to promote their channels, including in the Channels Directory. Additionally, businesses will be able to pay to show ads in Status. WhatsApp will begin processing additional information to offer these features, which we describe below. Ads are coming only to the Updates Tab - people won’t see ads in their chat list or personal messages. Your personal messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted and can’t be used to show you ads. We have updated the WhatsApp Privacy Policy accordingly.

What is the WhatsApp Updates Tab Supplemental Privacy Policy?

This WhatsApp Updates Tab Supplemental Privacy Policy (“Updates Tab Privacy Policy”) helps explain our information practices when you use the WhatsApp Updates Tab (“Updates Tab”), home of optional features such as Channels (“Channels”) and Status (“Status”). When we say “WhatsApp”, “our”, “we” or “us”, we are referring to WhatsApp LLC.

This Updates Tab Privacy Policy supplements the WhatsApp Privacy Policy, which applies to the use of all our Services, including the Updates Tab. Any capitalized terms used but not defined in this Updates Tab Privacy Policy have the meanings defined in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy. If there is any conflict between this Updates Tab Privacy Policy and the WhatsApp Privacy Policy, this Updates Tab Privacy Policy will control solely with respect to your use of the Updates Tab and only to the extent of the conflict.

The Supplemental Terms of Service for the Updates Tab apply to your use of the Updates Tab. Where you accept these terms, this Updates Tab Privacy Policy replaces the Channels Supplemental Privacy Policy in its entirety. The WhatsApp Channels Guidelines additionally apply to your use of Channels.

Importantly, your use of the Updates Tab does not impact the privacy of your WhatsApp personal messages, which continue to be end-to-end encrypted as described in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy.

What does this Updates Tab Privacy Policy cover?

This Updates Tab Privacy Policy covers optional products, features and services available in the WhatsApp Updates Tab, including:

Status is an optional feature that allows users to share and re-share with their contacts or selected audience things like photos, videos and text updates that disappear from view (“Status Updates”). Status Updates are end-to-end encrypted when you share them on WhatsApp.

Channels is an optional, one-way broadcasting feature within WhatsApp, separate from our private messaging services, that allows you to create or manage a channel (making you a channel “Admin”) where you may share updates for others to view (“Channel Updates”). You can also view and interact with Channel Updates, and follow particular channels as a follower (“Follower”). Non-followers (“Viewers”) can also view and interact with Channel Updates.

Channel Subscriptions are channels that offer an option to subscribe for a fee to receive Channel Updates available only to subscribers (“Channel Subscription Updates”). If you subscribe to a channel, the Channel Subscriptions Terms of Service will also apply.

Ads in the Updates Tab (e.g., Channels and Status). Advertisers, businesses, organizations and others can pay to show you ads in the Updates Tab, including promoted channels and ads in Status. Ads are coming to the Updates Tab in stages, so it may take time for you to begin seeing them.

How does this affect my regular WhatsApp messages and calls?

Importantly, your use of the Updates Tab does not impact the privacy of your WhatsApp personal messages and calls, which continue to be end-to-end encrypted as described in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy. We won’t use the content of your personal messages or calls to show you ads in the Updates Tab, home of Channels and Status.

Information We Collect

The WhatsApp Privacy Policy describes information we collect on our Services. When you use the Updates Tab, we also collect:

Updates Tab Information

• Channel Information. To create a channel, Admins must provide basic information, including a name for the channel. Admins may also choose to add other information, such as a unique Admin name, icon, profile picture, description or links to third party sites.
• Channel Updates. We collect Channel Updates and Channel Subscription Updates that Admins create or share, such as text, videos, photos, images, documents, links, gifs, stickers, audio content, or other types of content in their Channel for others to view.
• Followers, Viewers and other connections. We collect information about Followers and Viewers, such as their reactions, language choices, and the channels they follow.
• Usage And Log Information. We collect information about your activity on the Updates Tab, like service-related, diagnostic, and performance information. We also collect information about your activity on and use of the Updates Tab, including the types of channels you view and subscribe to, and how you interact with them; when you create, share, or delete content on the Updates Tab; metadata about channels, Channel Updates, Channel Subscription Updates and Status Updates; views and reactions by audiences; the Updates Tab features and settings you use and how you use and interact with them, and time, frequency, and duration of your activities on the Updates Tab.
• User Reports. Users or third-parties can report to us your channel or specific Channel Updates, Channel Subscription Updates or Status Updates - for example, to report possible violations of our terms or policies or local law. When a report is made, we collect information about the reporting party and reported user(s), and other information that may help us in investigating the report, such as associated channels or Channel Updates, user interactions and activity, and other information, such as the number of Followers who have muted a Channel, and other user reports or enforcement actions. To find out more, see our WhatsApp Channels Guidelines and Advanced Safety and Security Features.

Channel Subscriptions Information

• Admin Information for Subscriptions. For Channel Subscriptions, we additionally collect information when Admins set up and manage their channel subscription, such as subscription pricing, billing and renewal periods, cancellations and terminations, and payout methods.
• Subscriber Information. If you choose to subscribe to a channel, we collect information such as the channels you subscribe to, the start date and renewal terms.
• Subscription Payment Information. If you subscribe to a channel, we also collect information such as your payment method and transaction amount. We work with multiple third-party payment providers such as Apple App Store or Google Play, who will provide us with information about your transaction, to process your payment and manage your subscriptions.

Ads Information

• If we show you ads in the Updates Tab (e.g., Channels and Status), then we collect information about your interactions with them, like whether you view or tap an ad, follow a promoted channel, or place an order or make a purchase on WhatsApp. We also collect information about your interactions with advertisers, like the number of messages or calls you exchange with the advertiser after interacting with an ad.

Accounts Center Information

• Accounts Center. If you choose to add your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, we will combine your information across accounts in the same Accounts Center. Learn more about the information WhatsApp collects when you add your account to Accounts Center.

How We Use Information

We use the information we collect in the following additional ways:

• Provide the Updates Tab. We use the information we have to operate, provide, and improve the Updates Tab. For example, we may use this information to enable you to create, follow or interact with Channels and Status or Channel Updates and Status Updates, to help us to provide or develop additional Updates Tab features, or to improve your experience on the Updates Tab such as to show or recommend to you channels or display statuses so they might be more relevant and interesting to you. Status Updates themselves are end-to-end encrypted.
• Understand Usage of the Updates Tab. We use the information to measure and analyze the effectiveness, performance, reliability and efficiency of the Updates Tab, to understand how people use and interact with Updates Tab features, and to determine how we can develop and improve our Services.
• Additional services for Admins. We may offer additional services to Admins such as providing them with metrics regarding engagement with their channels.
• For Safety, Security, And Integrity. We use information we have (including Channel Updates and your activity in the Updates Tab) to ensure safety, security and integrity on our Services, including to combat harmful conduct; protect users against bad or harmful experiences, detect and investigate suspicious activity or violations of our terms and policies, including our WhatsApp Channels Guidelines, and to ensure our Services, including the Updates Tab, are being used lawfully.

How We Use Information for Ads in the Updates Tab (e.g., Channels and Status)

• If we show you ads in the Updates Tab, home of Channels and Status, then we also use limited types of information to provide and measure our advertising services. This includes basic account information like country code, device information like language, general (not precise) location, and Updates Tab activity like channels followed and ad interaction information. We want to show you interesting and relevant ads, so if we show you ads, we use this information to make inferences and personalize the ads we show you and measure how they perform.
• We also provide measurement, analytics and business services by helping advertisers, businesses and others measure how their ads are performing and working.

How We Use Information for Channel Subscriptions

If you use Channel Subscriptions, either as an Admin or a subscriber, then we also use the information we have to provide and manage Channel Subscriptions, including starting, renewing and terminating subscriptions; managing payments and payouts; and making Channel Subscription Updates available to subscribers.

How information is shared

Updates Tab information is shared in the following ways:

• Public Information. Remember that Channel Updates, Channel Subscription Updates and information Admins share on Channels are public and available to others, subject to any audience, subscription or privacy settings. Status Updates are visible to your contacts or the audience you select. You should keep in mind that anybody can capture screenshots or make recordings of the information you share on the Updates Tab, including Channel Updates and Status Updates, and send them to WhatsApp or anyone else, or share, export or upload them off our Services.
• Audiences. Admins can see who follows and subscribes to their channels. Users can see who views or reacts to their Status Updates.
• Third-Party Service Providers and Meta Companies. We work with third-party service providers and other Meta Companies to help us operate, provide, improve, understand and support the Updates Tab. We also work with Meta Companies to help us promote the safety, security, and integrity on the Updates Tab and our Services, including use of detection and measurement tools that leverage a combination of classifiers, content available to us and behavioral signals, human review, and user reports—to proactively and reactively detect potentially violating content or use of the Updates Tab. When third-party service providers and other Meta Companies receive information in this capacity, we require them to use your information on our behalf in accordance with our instructions and terms.
• Accounts Center. If you have added your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, see here to learn more about how your information will be shared.

Subscriptions-related information is shared as follows:

• Payment providers. We work with Third Party Payment Providers including Google Play Store and Apple App Store to process payments and transactions such as when you subscribe to a channel. We share information with these third-party payment providers such as authentication and transaction information. Please note that when you use third-party platform payment provider services, their own terms and privacy policies will govern your use of those services.

Ads-related information is shared as follows:

• We provide the businesses and Admins who advertise on WhatsApp with reports on their ad performance, such as whether an ad receives high engagement or negative feedback.
• If you have added your WhatsApp account to Accounts Center, your information will be combined and used across accounts in the same Accounts Center, including to personalize ads for you and others and measure how they perform.

Managing And Retaining Your Information

You can access, manage or port your Channels information using our in-app settings set out in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy.

• Retaining your public Channel Updates and Channel Subscription Updates for subscribers. In the ordinary course of providing Channels, we store Channel Updates and Channel Subscription Updates on our servers for up to 30 days, subject to safety, security and integrity purposes or other legal or compliance obligations that may require longer retention, and further subject to any archive options selected by Admins. Channel Updates and Channel Subscription Updates may remain on Viewers’, Followers’, or subscribers’ devices for a longer period, though we may provide options for updates to disappear faster, for example after 7 days or 24 hours should Admins choose.
• Retaining your Updates Tab information. We store other Information We Collect for as long as necessary for the purposes identified in this Updates Tab Privacy Policy, and the WhatsApp Privacy Policy, including to provide the Updates Tab or for other legitimate purposes, such as complying with legal obligations, enforcing and preventing violations of our terms and policies, or protecting or defending our rights, property, and users. The storage periods are determined on a case-by-case basis that depends on factors like the nature of the information, why it is collected and processed, relevant legal or operational retention needs, and legal obligations.
• Deleting your Channel. If you are an Admin, deleting your Channel removes the channel and Channel Updates from the Updates Tab in your app at which point it is no longer accessible to other users through Channels. Note that for technical reasons it takes up to 90 days from the beginning of the deletion process to delete or de-identify your information on our servers. We may also retain some of your information as needed for things like compliance with legal obligations, violations of our terms and policies, or harm prevention efforts. Please remember that when you delete your channel, it does not affect the information and content that other users may continue to have, such as a copy of the Channel Updates saved locally on their device or that have been forwarded to other users or shared off our Services.
• Deleting your Status Updates. Status Updates disappear after 24 hours, but you can delete them sooner from the Status Update itself.
• Removing Channel Updates. Admins can remove Channel Updates up to 30 days after posting.

You can access, manage or port your ads information using our in-app settings set out in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy.

You can learn more here about our data deletion and retention practices and about how to delete your account.

Updates To Our Policy

We may amend or update this Updates Tab Privacy Policy. We will provide you notice of amendments or updates as appropriate, and update the Effective date at the top. Please review our Updates Tab Privacy Policy from time to time.