There was a big furore when WhatsApp changed its privacy policy. Lots of people thought that:
- their messages and interactions would no longer be private
- WhatsApp would be able to spy on their conversations
- WhatsApp would start sharing information with its parent company Facebook
People started looking for alternative messaging apps, and the download rate of several messaging apps, including Signal, soared. Signal promised to maintain its user’s privacy and had 40m downloads in a single day shortly after.
Better content = Improved clarity
Since working in government, I have gained a keen appreciation of the importance of word choices when communicating with users, customers or citizens. That’s why we have professional Content Designers.
Content Designers are responsible for ensuring we communicate clearly, but they aren’t the same as marketers. They are embedded in UCD teams, and importantly – they don’t just publish things into the wild hoping for the best. Instead, they test their content to ensure it’s clear and helps users achieve their goals quickly and efficiently.
What did WhatsApp do wrong?
At a guess, I would imagine that a content designer lost a battle or perhaps there wasn’t enough user research before rolling out this change in their privacy policy.
The change was not as dramatic as people thought and believed, but the message’s vagueness was enough to spook WhatsApp’s users.
Suppose WhatsApp checked with their users to see what they understood the message. In that case, I’m confident they would have designed the messaging differently, resulting in fewer users looking for alternative secure services.
Update
WhatsApp has now changed the messaging. For some, the damage has already been done, and they have lost trust in WhatsApp/Facebook forever – they are converts to the new messaging apps. For others, this recent change in content reduces their confusion and anxiety about privacy when using WhatsApp.
