How to stop Whats App from sharing your data with Facebook

With the whole controversy around Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data leak still brewing, there is a growing awareness about how much and what kind of data is being shared online. Users who were earlier unaware are now getting a bit more vigilant. Recently, Facebook-owned Whats App was too under the scanner for allegedly sharing information with its parent company. Whats App responded to this by saying that it collects "very little data" of its users and "every message is end-to-end encrypted."

But there is a way for users to choose not to share their account information with Facebook. This shared information is said to improve Facebook ads and products experiences. Here are two ways to stop sharing your Whats App information with Facebook:

As soon as you download Whats App, you will be asked to 'Agree' to accept their updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. But before you do, tap Agree and then tap on 'read more.' Once you do that, you will find a control at the bottom of the screen, which you can uncheck if you do not want your account information shared with Facebook.

This option comes in the picture if you have already agreed to Whats App's terms and policies but now want to change that.

But this works only for 30 days. Do this by going to Settings > Account > Share my account info in the app. If you do not want your account information shared with Facebook to improve your Facebook ads and products experiences, you can uncheck the box or toggle the control.

Readers must note that Whats App states in its blog that they still share your information with Facebook. It says, "The Facebook family of companies will still receive and use this information for other purposes such as improving infrastructure and delivery systems, understanding how our services or theirs are used, securing systems, and fighting spam, abuse, or infringement activities."