Case Study: Improving communication of privacy policy changes — WhatsApp
Setting up the Context
“WhatsApp is updating its terms and privacy policy,” read the notification, which was sent out to both Android and iOS users on 4th Jan ’21. The notification further read, “By tapping Agree, you accept the new terms and privacy policy, which take effect on 8 February 2021. After this date, you’ll need to accept these updates to continue using WhatsApp”.
What Happened?
- The change was regarding WhatsApp For Business interactions. If one has interacted with a Business on WhatsApp, they’ll be sharing that data with Facebook to personalize ads related to location and other details without compromising the privacy of the actual conversation.
- The spread of mass misinformation and confusion regarding sharing sensitive personal information with Facebook and other third-party led to the delay of the new privacy policy till 15th May ‘21.
- Backlash and hatred towards Whatsapp within a brief amount of time resulted in platform abandonment and uninstalls.
- The emergence of competitors like Signal and Telegram (Source: Google Trends).
Identifying the Red Flags
This notification that popped up on our screens was a nail in the coffin because it was sudden and unanticipated. It was so vague and unclear that it spread misinformation on all media channels including WhatsApp. Most of the users are not used to the jargon which is often used in such policy wordings and would be willing to jump to conclusions with the information provided first hand or influenced by the voice of the social-media herd. Hence, it is essential to set the tone before bombarding the user with any major updates, especially pertaining to sensitive topics like privacy and security.
The tone and mood of the particular notification in question were such that it focused on everything that is changing around the WhatsApp ecosystem with no mention that all the chats will still remain end-to-end encrypted.
Cognitive Dissonance
The entire disclosure of updated policy was very sudden and abrupt. It led to the constant battle in the head between the app’s ease of use vs the importance of privacy. The side with maximum social media validation tends to have a driver’s seat momentarily.
Although this cognitive dissonance subsided as it was no longer trending on social media, however flattening the peak quicker could have helped WhatsApp in preventing the extreme backlash.
User Segment
- Type A: Using only for personal communications — Very high majority.
- Type B: Using for both personal and business account communication — Medium majority.
- Type C: Business Account holders — Low majority.
Certain portions of the below solution may be relevant to India but in general, apply to all geographies. India has the largest user base which is 390.1 million as of March 2021.
How could it have been better?
The entire disclosure of the updated policy was very sudden and abrupt. Drastic changes in any product need to be swept in smoothly to be accepted by the users, hence, proper planning should be considered while rolling out the same.
The below-stated points carry the flag of Privacy by Design(PbD) as a fundamental.
1. Communicate with the user
It is essential for every product to develop a communication channel with users in the form of in-app notifications, in-app stories, product update logs, and social media. This is essential to bridge the gap between the product and the end-user and enable trust where the user need not jump to conclusions to spread misinformation.
The first information regarding the policy went live on WhatsApp Twitter handle as late as 12th Jan when people had already started losing out on confidence in the app. The same week (16th Jan) WhatsApp also used Status messages to inform the user in an attempt to damage control but the step counter blasted due to the wrong timing. The aggressive advertisements done at the eleventh hour were deemed useless.
Had WhatsApp used its in-app features efficiently and in time to regularly update the user regarding all the things to come, the extent of such resistance could have been avoided. The status messages could have been used to anticipate the user regarding a new update to be released, explicitly stating that personal chats are not at stake.
Further, for enabling better translation and 360 communication:
- Translation of lengthy policy wordings into native languages(Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, etc) would ensure information dissemination for every user segment.
- Converting wordings to graphical or visual mediums like videos to prompt users to take an attempt to understand the same.
Visibility and Transparency via PbD
2. Softer Notification “for all”
The original notification which was put out was rather blunt as stated previously, hence a framing of a user-friendly message which caters to all set of users could have been done to set the tone. The notification should have mentioned explicitly what is not changing i.e. end-to-end encryption for both personal as well as business chats to prevent a state of chaos.
The above notification was released by Whatsapp as a reaction to the widespread misinformation and was more illustrative and readable than the first notification.
The same could have been slightly tweaked to set the context for the users with a softer tone in the first place.
Full Functionality and Respect for User Privacy via PbD
3. Business Account Associations
WhatsApp mentioned it has over 50 million users of its business app globally, of which more than 15 million are in India(as of 2020). Since the major change was regarding the WhatsApp Business APIs and business communication, the primary set of users to be targeted should have been the Business Accounts and other members in regular association with the same.
Privacy as a Default Setting via PbD
4. Persuasive Repetition through WhatsApp Chats
“Repetition as a Persuasive Strategy” could have saved WhatsApp from such a backlash that it received. The Lever of Persuasion could have been utilized to its advantage while revealing the policy as well as to counter any misinformation that was coming along its way.
This could have been done using an official WhatsApp Account stating out the details of the changes to be expected and stating any misinformations as null and void. Since the home screen is the most visited part of the app, this would have been enough to reach out to all its users in one go with necessary details and links.
5. Timeline for Acceptance
The final step after the users are convinced, a final timeline for acceptance could have been announced along with relevant channels to clarify any further doubts. This is to ensure a feeling of trust with the user that they are in safe hands and no private information is at risk.
IN CONCLUSION
This article is an edited work from my submission, feedbacks and further group discussions for the UX Hack Product Challenge.
