If Facebook goes down for a few hours, it’s manageable. Īrguably, WhatsApp has now stitched itself into the fabric of society the world over, more even that its parent, it has become a core enable to daily lives. Think that through when next reading about WhatsApp’s shift into payments and shopping. In most countries, WhatsApp is now the market leader. In Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Argentina, Malaysia, Colombia and Brazil it has secured more than 90% of total adult internet users. While its penetration in Europe is strong, in the developing world it’s staggering. And, more to the point, it’s owned by a product giant not a data-based advertising giant. But iMessage isn’t a separate platform from core, regulated messaging.

The nearest equivalent is Apple’s iMessage in some markets, especially the U.S. WhatsApp’s biggest victory-the reason it’s now on almost all our phones-was its displacement of SMS as the world’s most popular, most ubiquitous, messaging tool. But replacing regulated mobile networks with a multinational “over the top” that is used by almost everyone is a different deal. Social media can be turned on or off with little consequence. The specter of regulation continues to hang over Facebook and its Big Tech rivals, but this has raised a different regulatory question: At what point does a privately held communication platform become a utility. Wait, what! WhatsApp wants to share more data with Facebook! You mean it does some already? It was a wake-up call, a reminder that the world’s largest secure messenger is owned by the world’s hungriest data harvester. It was never about the specifics of the changed terms.

We will continue to remind users about the update as well as when people choose to use relevant optional features.”īut forget about this update-it’s irrelevant. “Given recent discussions with authorities and privacy experts,” WhatsApp said, “we want to make clear that we currently have no plans to limit how WhatsApp works for those who have not yet accepted the update. Backlashes in huge markets like India and Brazil, as well as Germany’s legal ban and the likelihood of further European action was the more probable reason for the change of heart than a pragmatic “most have accepted anyway” concession.

Similarly, the real story of the retreat is not the obvious short-term let-off for however many millions of users have yet to click “accept.” In truth, it’s a very loud, very clear message that Facebook can only push so far.

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