WhatsApp has just recently announced that it has updated its terms and conditions, as well as privacy policy, which means users' information and data will be shared between the aforementioned app and Facebook before the end of the year.

The Facebook-owned company stated that it has updated the terms to test ways to connect users with businesses, which could likely point to marketing adverts, TechCrunch reported.

The announcement should come to no surprise as the company announced in January its aim to find ways to connect businesses with its users, which is about one billion members.

The new terms does not indicate specifically that users will now receive ads, but it is likely, as users from Facebook has experienced in recent months. WhatsApp has been acquired by the social media platform a few years back, and now it seems both are ready to make a relatively bold move.

The updated terms and privacy policy indicate that the company would "explore ways" to connect its vast user-base with businesses to promote a communication between the parties. It is expected that the updated terms would likely mean that WhatsApp and Facebook would now have an integrated database of its users, according to the BBC.

It still remains to be seen whether users would warm up to the idea, but members who are reluctant to share their information with Facebook still has an option to opt out of the data sharing plans.

WhatsApp claims that sharing its members data with Facebook would help regulate spam, and ultimately abuse. While this could help keep the online community among WhatsApp users clean, but this could also lead to persistent "suggestions" and "relevant ads" as seen with the Facebook interface.

Users whom would opt for exclusion with the move has the option to go to the app's included terms and conditions and tick the option that would keep them out of the expected move by WhatsApp and Facebook.

Read more
Tags Whatsapp, Facebook