WhatsApp is allowing users to download the data that's collected by the app during their usage. This move has come in compliance with the new EU data privacy rules. After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook-owned WhatsApp rolled out this update a month earlier than the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law that goes in effect from May 25. Initially, the Request Account feature was available for only Android User on Beta, but now the update has rolled out for all users on both Android as well as iOS devices.
On May 22, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg apologised to EU lawmakers, saying the company had not done enough to prevent misuse of the social network and that regulation is "important and inevitable". Meeting the leaders of the European Parliament, Zuckerberg stressed the importance of Europeans to Facebook and said he was sorry for not doing enough to prevent abuse of the platform. "We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility. That was a mistake and I am sorry for it," Zuckerberg said in his opening remarks.
With more and more users criticising over data abuse by Facebook, WhatsApp has been constantly reassuring that it's a safe IM platform with end-to-end encryption. This basically means that nobody can snoop in between conversations and messages between two users. The company, however, has agreed that it does collect very little data. So started a plethora of speculations that the metadata of such usage can still be misused if mined by hackers.
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So, the rollout of 'Request your account information' feature on WhatsApp was put into effect. This allows the users to request and even export a report of their account information like contacts, profile photos, groups and is even allowing you to port to another IM messaging app if you are still not confident of using WhatsApp. The report, however, does not include messages or photos sent on chat. For that still, you'll have to export your chat history to your email.
So how yo Request your account information? All you have to do is open WhatsApp then go to settings. For Android users its available on the three-dot menu button for iOS users it is in the bottom carousel. Here, you will see a Request account info option. As soon as you tap on it, in a new window opens in which you can see a Request report option. As soon as you tap on that the screen of your device will update and a message that your request has been sent will pop up.
WhatsApp then says that your report will be generated in three days. As soon as your report is generated you will get a notification on your device. During this period of three days, WhatsApp says that if you delete your account or change your number, they will be unable to send you a report.
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As soon as you get the notification that your account data report is ready for download, you'll need to head to Settings in the WhatsApp again, then head to your Account, tap on Request Account Info and then just tap on Download Report. Once you do that the report will be downloaded as a ZIP file on your smartphone. Once the ZIP file is downloaded, you will have to select to export the report to a third-party app. Once you do that you'll be able to see what all data WhatsApp has used from your usage and account. Make sure to permanently delete the downloaded copy if you are still convinced of using the service. Deleting this file will not delete any of your account data.
So what are you waiting for? In times like these, it's always best to be safe than sorry.
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