Many WhatsApp users are concerned about their privacy on the app now that it is owned by Facebook. Specifically, some users don’t want their WhatsApp status updates to be shared with Facebook and used for ads or recommendations. Here are some quick answers about stopping Facebook from accessing your WhatsApp status:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy and toggle off “Share your status”
- This prevents your status from being shared to any contacts, including Facebook
- You can also set your status privacy to “My Contacts Except…” and exclude specific contacts like Facebook
- There is no setting specifically for only blocking Facebook from seeing your status
- Facebook may still collect some data from WhatsApp, but won’t see your status updates
Understanding WhatsApp’s Relationship with Facebook
Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion. Since then, there have been concerns about data sharing between the two platforms. Here is some background on how WhatsApp and Facebook share user data:
- WhatsApp currently shares some data with Facebook such as phone number and analytics for ads and product improvement.
- Facebook cannot see your WhatsApp messages or listen to calls due to end-to-end encryption.
- Your WhatsApp status updates are encrypted, but the images/videos can be backed up to Facebook servers.
- Facebook may use WhatsApp data for ad targeting and recommendations after anonymizing it.
- WhatsApp is still more private than Facebook’s native messaging app Messenger.
So in summary, Facebook does have access to some WhatsApp user data, but not the actual content of chats and status updates. However, they can see and use your status media for recommendations after removing identifying information.
How to Stop Facebook from Accessing Your WhatsApp Status
If you don’t want any Facebook access to your WhatsApp status for increased privacy, here are the steps to block sharing completely:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the Settings tab.
- Go to Account > Privacy.
- Tap on “Status privacy” and select “My contacts except…”
- Type in “Facebook” and confirm to exclude Facebook contacts.
- Toggle “Share status” off for extra protection.
This will stop your WhatsApp status being shared with any Facebook links or contacts. Facebook will no longer be able to view, download or back up your status updates.
Setting Status Privacy
Here are more details on the “Status privacy” setting:
- Everyone – Default, share status with all contacts.
- My Contacts – Share with only your phone contacts.
- My Contacts Except – Share with all contacts except those you exclude.
- Only Share with – Select specific contacts to share status with.
Using “My Contacts Except” to block Facebook is the best option if you want to share your status more broadly. The “Only Share with” option can also work but requires manually selecting each allowed contact.
Disabling Status Sharing
Alternatively, you can disable status sharing completely by toggling the “Share status” option off. This gives you maximum privacy but means your status won’t be visible to any WhatsApp contacts.
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Status Privacy – My Contacts Except Facebook | Status not shared with any Facebook contacts |
| Share Status – Off | Status not visible to any WhatsApp contacts |
As you can see, the “Share status” option is the most heavy-handed approach to blocking Facebook status access.
Limiting WhatsApp Data Sharing with Facebook
Even if you block Facebook from your WhatsApp status, they still may collect some usage data:
- Phone number and registration details
- User analytics for ads and product improvement
- IP address and device info
- Anonymous data after removing personal details
To minimize data collection by Facebook:
- Avoid backing up your WhatsApp media to Facebook.
- Disable personalized ads in Facebook Ads Settings.
- Opt out of analytics data sharing in WhatsApp settings.
- Use a VPN and private browsing when using WhatsApp Web.
However, Facebook will still be able to collect some technical and usage data from WhatsApp due to their shared infrastructure. There is no way to completely stop all data sharing short of not using WhatsApp.
Other Ways to Increase WhatsApp Privacy
In addition to controlling your WhatsApp status visibility and Facebook sharing, here are some other tips for keeping your WhatsApp data more private:
- Enable screen lock and fingerprint unlock on WhatsApp
- Turn off read receipts and typing indicators
- Use ephemeral messages which disappear after being read
- Disable chat backups to Google Drive or iCloud
- Avoid location sharing and live location
- Review and limit app permissions
Enabling privacy settings like these gives you more control over what data leaves your device via WhatsApp. However, they don’t necessarily stop Facebook from collecting analytics or metadata from your usage.
Conclusion
While WhatsApp has robust encryption for messages, its close ties with Facebook raise concerns for some users around status sharing and data privacy. There is no direct way to only stop Facebook from seeing your WhatsApp status, but you can use “My Contacts Except” and disable sharing entirely. This provides maximum privacy at the expense of sharing your status updates with other contacts.
Facebook may still be able to collect some technical WhatsApp data due to their shared infrastructure. But limiting integration options, analytics sharing, and unnecessary app permissions provides greater privacy control on top of controlling your status visibility. Overall, be mindful of what you share on WhatsApp and utilize available privacy settings to gain more control over your data.