Here it comes: New Meta privacy policy. Does it matter?

A new Meta privacy policy comes soon for the company’s platforms. Users would receive notifications of these updates, designed to make it easier to understand how the company uses their information. Many regulators and campaigners criticised Meta over its use of customers’ data. Still, WhatsApp would not go through these changes.

What does the new Meta privacy policy mean?

According to the new Meta privacy policy, the company would not “collect, use or share your data in new ways”. Still, there are two important changes that will help users control how the company processes their personal data.

In order to make things easier, the controls over which ads they will see are going to be in a single interface.

Moreover, the terms of service change. According to Michel Protti, Meta’s chief privacy officer, this would “better explain what is expected from us”. Thus, users will find out when the company may disable or terminate accounts. Also, some other details about the deletion of the accounts.

More details about third parties

The company says that it also provides additional information about the third parties with whom it shares information – the third party cookies. Also, about how the data is shared between its products. Still, users don’t have to take any steps as a result of the policy updates, in order to use the products. Nevertheles, Meta mentioned that those who do not want to accept the changes “are free to leave”.

All the changes would happen on 26 July and the company tries to reduce the complexity of its policies. But the real reason is the “more demand from regulators and in privacy legislation”.

So, more and more regulators took action against its way of handling and safeguarding user data. And Meta mentioned that these actions would cut its future growth.

In fact, the EU authorities fined it in March (€17) for breaching the privacy laws in 2018. Moreover, the US District of Columbia’s attorney general opened a cas agains Mark Zuckerberg. This is over allegations linked to the 2016 Cambridge Analytica scandal.

For whom do they really do this?

Still, experts are wondering if the move is really for the users. This is because the effort is nice, but users would not even notice it. They would just click through. It might mean that the move is rather for regulators. So, it might have the power to just stop criticism about surveillance.

So, for those who really care about thei personal data, there are real solutions. Ad Guardin Plus is one of the best ad blockers out there that deactivates online trackers. Thus, no online players can collect personal data when you’re online. Give it a try!