Under the updated privacy policy, Meta will also outline more clearly the way it processes the information it collects from users, including the way it location-related information such as internet protocol addresses, check-in at locations, and other information such as current city, the company said.
Meta also said that apart from the privacy policy, the terms of service of usage of Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram were also being updated to what users should expect from the company and what is expected of them.
“These expectations include the rights and obligations described in our Community Standards, for example when we may disable or terminate accounts that violate our Terms or Community Standards or others’ intellectual property rights or other laws,” the company said.
Though Meta has released the new policy and will roll it out by July 26, users in India will have the option of either accepting the terms of the policy and moving to the new regime or continuing to use Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram as per the terms of the old data policy, the company said.
“For most countries, our Privacy Policy is informational – and so we are sharing a prominent notice to highlight the change to users, but they are not invited to, for example, click to agree to the update to our Privacy Policy. In India, users are given the opportunity to accept the updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service or not, without any impact on their access to our products,” Meta said in a release.
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Meta’s stand allowing Indians to opt-out of the new privacy policy for Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram is similar to the one it had taken for WhatsApp.
In late January last year, WhatsApp had updated its terms of usage and said that the users who did not accept the terms by February 8 would be barred from using some basic services of the app. After protests from users, the deadline was shifted to May 15 and WhatsApp had said it would send consistent reminders to those who had not accepted the new terms of the policy.
The stand taken by WhatsApp ran into trouble with several governments across the globe following which the company reversed its stand and said that it would neither limit the functionality for those who had not accepted the new terms nor would it send reminders to those who had refused to accept the new usage terms.
The privacy policy changes announced on Thursday, however, do not apply to WhatsApp, Workplace, Free Basics, Messenger Kids, and some other services which have their own privacy policy.
