WhatsApp is now sharing your phone number with Facebook, here’s how to stop it

WhatsApp announced yesterday that it would start sharing some user data — including your phone number — with parent company Facebook.

The two companies say the new policy will help you find friends and “improve your Facebook ads and products experiences,” but it will also give businesses a new avenue to reach potential customers, with WhatsApp describing situations where banks and airlines will use your phone number to get in touch about fraudulent payments or delayed flights.

But you cannot be sure, can you?

Now it has emerged that there is a hidden way of opting out of the terms, and ensuring that no data is sent over to Facebook. But it has to be done quickly.

The first way can only be done if you haven’t accepted the new terms, using the pop-up that will emerge when you open up WhatsApp.

If you haven’t, wait until that happens but don’t click “agree” – instead navigate to the smaller “read more” option, and untick the box that says “Share my WhatsApp account information with Facebook”.

If you’ve already accepted those new terms, you can still opt out – as long as it’s within 30 days.

You can do that by heading to the settings menu in the app, and pressing on the account tab – there you’ll find a “share my account info” button that you can undress and revoke your permission.