Tag Archives: WhatsApp

News

Featured Article : What’s Ahead for WhatsApp?

Following the launch of the new business-focused WhatsApp Cloud API, we take a look at where Facebook’s (i.e. Meta) popular secure chat app is heading.

Cloud API 

Last week, Facebook’s WhatsApp announced that it was opening WhatsApp to all businesses and developers with a new cloud-based API service. WhatsApp Cloud API, on the WhatsApp Business Platform, offers businesses secure cloud hosting services provided by Meta and the new API (application programming interface) allows apps to communicate with each other. This will mean that businesses can, for example, build-in a customised customer service chat feature to their website that uses a customised version of WhatsApp (built directly on top of WhatsApp), accessible via a dashboard, for the conversation. Previously, businesses had been set up on the non-cloud version, including Vodafone, BMW and KLM.

Easier, Faster, and Cheaper For Businesses 

As well as making it much easier for businesses to set up a customised customer chat service using the trusted WhatsApp platform, Meta says that WhatsApp Cloud API will increase the speed at which businesses users can respond to their customers, and will eliminate costly server expenses for its partners, giving instant access to new features. Meta says that WhatsApp Cloud API will mean that business wanting to work with one of its 100+ partners or access the service directly, will be able to cut down the start-up time from months to minutes by using this new service.

Free Hosting, Pay Per Message 

Although the hosting service is free, businesses will be charged on a per message basis, thereby giving Meta an opportunity to monetise WhatsApp for business users.

More Advanced Features To Come 

WhatsApp also says that as the use of its Cloud-based API grows it will be adding more advanced features to help businesses run their operations beyond just a few people and further amplify their brand online. These advanced features will include the ability to manage chats across up to 10 devices to enable the handling of multiple chats, and a new customisable WhatsApp click-to-chat link to help businesses attract customers across their online presence. WhatsApp says that these additional, optional features will be offered for a fee in the WhatsApp Business app as part of a new premium service (full details yet to be announced).

Other Business-Focused Services

Other business-focused services recently announced by Meta also include:

– A ‘Recurring Notifications’ service (available on Messenger  and also available for businesses on Instagram by autumn) to help businesses re-engage people in the right messaging thread, choose the topics that people can opt-in to, and how often customers can hear from the business.

– Communities on WhatsApp which will enable users to bring together separate groups (e.g., schools, local clubs, and non-profit organisations, and businesses) under one umbrella with a structure.

– Reactions – a set of six different emojis (a red heart, thumbs up, laughter, a sad face, a surprised face/wow, and a “thanks” emoji) that can be used in busy group chats, e.g. as part of ‘Communities’

– Improved voice messaging services on WhatsApp.

Business Communications & Integrating Facebook’s Apps 

WhatsApp (Meta) says that times have changed and that customers need instant information and, according to its own 2020 survey, 75 per cent of adults “want to communicate with a business the same way they do with friends and family through messaging”. WhatsApp says that messaging and conversations are now, therefore, the primary way that people share information with each other and that not setting up an effective chat channel with customers could see businesses missing out on sales.

It is, perhaps, not surprising that WhatsApp/Meta would say this because it owns Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and has long planned to find ways to consolidate and leverage the power of them by integrating them and making them interoperable, and by monetising aspects of them through tailoring offerings to businesses.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Most businesses are familiar with WhatsApp and may already use WhatsApp’s free services and the WhatsApp Cloud API may be something to tempt them into WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp/Meta has been expanding its businesses services, finding ways to tie its existing messaging platforms and hosting together to create new sources of revenue other than advertising. WhatsApp also needs keep finding new ways to add value and compete with competitors that grew over the lockdown period, e.g. Snapchat, Slack, and other business collaborative working and comms platforms. WhatsApp’s owner, Meta, is also re-positioning itself for the future with its ‘metaverse’ concept, escaping from past scandals, criticism, and the threat of closer regulation and finally trying to find ways to make money from and leverage the unique synergies and possibilities of combining and augmenting the messaging services and platforms that it owns. For businesses, Cloud API may represent a fast and uncomplicated way to set up a secure and scalable direct messaging channel (when the new promised features are added) with customers that could boost sales in a changing environment where fast messaging responses are now expected by customers. For WhatsApp/Meta, it is another step towards expanding its business customer base and the associated revenue stream.

News

Tech News : WhatsApp Rolls-Out Emojis and Sharing Of Files Over 2GB

Following last month’s announcement, Meta’s WhatsApp is rolling-out emojis and the ability to share files within WhatsApp up to 2GB in size.

Communities 

The new features are being added as part of WhatsApp’s “vision for Communities” where the idea is to “help people have the next best thing to an in-person conversation when they want to talk to an individual or a group of friends or family”. The Communities vision is also being introduced to cater for organisations like schools, local clubs, and non-profit organisations which may now rely on WhatsApp, and need to send updates to the entire Community, and easily organise smaller discussion groups within them.

Reactions 

On 5 May, Mark Zuckerberg posted on his Facebook/Meta wall that “Reactions on WhatsApp start rolling out today”. This refers to the announcement last month that WhatsApp beta version 22.9.0.71 would include reactions, group polls, and the ability to make communities with an increase in the size of files that can be shared to from 100MB to 2GB.

Reactions are six different emojis – a red heart, thumbs up, laughter, a sad face, a surprised face/wow, and a “thanks” emoji. WhatsApp has also said that it will add support for more emojis and skin tones in the future.

How To Use Reactions 

After users have updated their WhatsApp to beta version 22.9.0.71, to react to a message (with one of the emojis), users just need to tap and hold a chat bubble.

Particularly Useful In Group Chats 

The reactions feature may prove to be particularly useful in busy group chats by allowing a simple emoji response rather than always requiring a reply. As WhatsApp says, “they reduce overload in groups”. 

There is also speculation that it may soon be possible to use GIFs or stickers in the response options for users.

More People Being Added To Chats 

WhatsApp has also announced that, in response to requests from users, it is giving the option to add more people to a chat, and so is slowly rolling out the ability to add up to 512 people to a group.

Voice Messaging 

Back In April, WhatsApp also announced that it would soon be improving its voice messaging with new features like ‘Out of Chat Playback’, ‘Pause/Resume Recording’, ‘Waveform Visualization’, ‘Draft Preview’, ‘Remember Playback’ (if interrupted), and ‘Fast Playback on Forwarded Messages’.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?   

These reactions, increased file sharing size, and many of the other new features added to WhatsApp (and promised to be added soon) are all part of a big push by Facebook/Meta to stay at the top of the free encrypted messaging app market and compete with rivals like Snapchat. For example, in January, Snapchat announced a major update (for iOS) which included improved calling, ‘Chat Replies’, Bitmoji Reactions (to allow for more expression), and Poll Stickers to enable emoji-powered polls in Snaps and Stories to survey friends. Meta also wants to consolidate and leverage the power of its other popular apps by integrating and making Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram interoperable.

Communities is also about Meta capitalising on the fact that many non-profit organisations, as well as businesses now use WhatsApp, and that building in more engagement and loyalty among these valuable segments could also deliver competitive advantage and benefits. This follows attempts dating back to 2018 to woo small businesses (of which there is a large number) with WhatsApp Business followed by its testing of a multi-device capability to appeal to multi-device owning (business) users. The reactions announcement is, therefore, part of a ‘drip, drip’ approach of value adding features that Meta hopes will help WhatsApp compete with the likes of Snapchat and other chat apps used by individuals, businesses and organisations (such a Slack), and aspects of other collaborative work and communications platforms (Teams, Google Workspace, and Zoom).

News

Tech Tip – How To Turn On WhatsApp Encrypted Backups

Facebook has just enabled encrypted backups for WhatsApp messages to Google Drive or Apple’s iCloud. The feature, however, is not enabled by default so, if you’d like to backup your important WhatsApp messages, here’s how to turn the feature on:

– In the latest version of WhatsApp, go to ‘Settings’.

– Tap on ‘Chats’ > ‘Chat Backup’ > ‘End-to-end Encrypted Backup’.

– Tap on ‘Continue’ and follow the prompts to create your password or 64-digit encryption key.

– Tap ‘Done’.

News

Tech News : WhatsApp Handed Massive GDPR Fine

Following an investigation into WhatsApp Ireland Ltd, the Irish data regulator (DPC) has issued Facebook’s popular WhatsApp chat app with the second-largest GDPR fine of €225m.

Long Investigation

The eye-watering fine of €225 million follows an investigation that started way back on 10 December 2018.

Big Fine

The DPC had submitted a draft decision to all Concerned Supervisory Authorities (CSAs) under Article 60 GDPR in December 2020. After objections from eight CSAs, the DPC was able to start the dispute resolution process (Article 65 GDPR) on 3 June 2021 and on 28 July 2021, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) decided to impose the fine on WhatsApp under Article 65(1)(a) GDPR.

..And a Reprimand

In addition to the fine, the DPC has imposed a reprimand along with an order for WhatsApp to bring its processing into compliance by taking a range of specified remedial actions.

Transparency

The DPC has said that the investigation, which led to the fine, related to WhatsApp’s GDPR transparency obligations regarding the provision of information and the transparency of that information to both users and non-users of WhatsApp’s service. This included information provided to data subjects about the processing of information between WhatsApp and other Facebook companies.

The problem with WhatsApp’s consumer services (not WhatsApp for Business), which is ‘explained’ in an 89-page document, appears to be that the descriptions of who ‘interests’ are, in relation to other business services and partners, are that they are not described in a transparent and intelligible form. In other words, it seems that the EDPB thought that WhatsApp may not have supplied enough information to users about how their data is processed, and that its privacy policies (which have been subject to several updates), may not be clear enough.

WhatsApp Says…

WhatsApp has said that it disagrees with the decision about the transparency it provided to users in 2018 and has described the penalties as “entirely disproportionate”.

Not The Only One

Even though this is a bad-break for WhatsApp, it is not the only big tech company to have found itself in trouble with data regulators.  For example, in July, Amazon received a staggering $885 million fine over data privacy, and in 2020, Twitter was fined €450,000 after a GDPR infringement.

Data Sharing For EU Users

Back in January, WhatsApp announced that in a change to its privacy policy (from February 8, 2021), users outside of Europe would have to agree to share their personal information with WhatsApp’s owner Facebook or leave the app.

An in-app notice is informing WhatsApp users of the terms of service and privacy policy changes, which were an extension of changes announced in July last year and were the result of discussions with the Irish Data Protection Commission and other Data Protection Authorities in Europe.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Even though one of the attractions of WhatsApp is its security and privacy, due to its end-to-end encryption, this fine indicates that there appears to have been, in 2018, a bit of grey area in terms of how user-data is processed and some of the meaning in the app’s privacy policies.  The problem appears to have been serious enough to warrant (according to the EDPB) the second biggest GDPR fine ever.  The news comes on the back of EU WhatsApp users having to accept their data being shared with Facebook (from February this year).  All this may be making WhatsApp users, particularly those who use WhatsApp for business, nervous about their privacy on the app in terms of details about their business and the passing on of their data (for targeted advertising).  Also, Facebook has faced significant trust issues with users since the Cambridge Analytica unauthorised data-sharing scandal plus having to share data with Facebook may be off-putting and may make them think about looking around for other possible secure comms apps. This fine represents some very poor publicity for WhatsApp at a time when it has been trying to compete with the likes of Snapchat and Apple, while nevertheless getting some good headlines too by announcing new features like its ‘View Once’ feature for photos and videos, and its ‘disappearing messages’ feature.