Facebook looks to its messaging service Whatsapp to gather more personal data
WhatsApp might start sharing user's personal data with Facebook according to leaked screenshots.
Facebook acquired the messaging app in February 2014, and has only recently started to implement changes to the app.
The proposed update, still in beta form, was shared by developer Javier Santos on his Google+ page posting screenshots of the latest features of the updated app.
The WhatsApp feature reads: "Share my WhatsApp account information with Facebook to improve my Facebook experiences."
Exactly what data will be exchanged between the two services is unclear, though it will likely begin with contact sharing.
The new version of WhatsApp is also set to implement a new end-to-end encryption indicator that will allow users to tell whether secure technology is being used in the chats. In theory, turning on this feature would mean nobody would be able to see what messages are being exchanged between users, which will be shielded even from WhatsApp.
News comes after Facebook announced last week that it will scrap the subscription fees for WhatsApp as it looks to implement a more business-centric model similar to that used for Facebook Messenger.
As of September 2015 WhatsApp’s monthly active user base was outrunning Facebook’s by 200 million users, so merging it with Messenger’s business model would make it more attractive to developers and brands to commit.