WhatsApp to give users' phone numbers to Facebook for targeted ads

Messaging service will begin sharing private information with Facebook and is preparing to allow businesses to message users

Mobile messaging service WhatsApp will give its parent company Facebook personal information including users’ phone numbers, as part of plans to allow businesses to send messages to users.

WhatsApp’s billion-plus users will be notified of the change to its privacy policy from 25 August. They will have 30 days to decide whether to opt out of their information being used for ad targeting on Facebook, but will not be able to opt out of their data being sharing with the social network.

The ad targeting will be on Facebook’s platform, which has 1.71 billion monthly active users, with WhatsApp saying it won’t put banner ads or allow spam on its own platform.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said: “We want to explore ways for you to communicate with businesses that matter to you too, while still giving you an experience without third-party banner ads and spam.

“Whether it’s hearing from your bank about a potentially fraudulent transaction, or getting notified by an airline about a delayed flight, many of us get this information elsewhere, including in text messages and phone calls.”

The testing of tools designed to allow businesses to contact users was originally announced when WhatsApp dropped its yearly service fee on 18 January this year.

The phone number associated with a user’s WhatsApp account will be used on Facebook to show them ads. This will form part of the targeting the company allows for paying advertisers, who can upload contact databases. Those who use Facebook and are in the contact database uploaded by the advertiser will then be shown the targeted ads.

The information will also be used to show how people interact with a specific ad, but Facebook said that it would not tell advertisers who specifically interacted with the ad.

WhatsApp and Facebook accounts will remain separate. The service will not be merged with Facebook’s other chat-based service Messenger or photo-sharing service Instagram. But all services under Facebook will gain access to WhatsApp users’ phone numbers and other account information, and it can be used to suggest contacts be added as friends.

WhatsApp said: “We won’t post or share your WhatsApp number with others, including on Facebook, and we still won’t sell, share, or give your phone number to advertisers.”

End-to-end encryption

All messages sent using an up-to-date version of WhatsApp are sent encrypted end-to-end from the sender to the recipient preventing WhatsApp or anyone else from reading its contents. As a by-product, it also blocks the company targeting ads against what is said in messages, a common tool used by Facebook, Google and others.

What’s unclear is whether WhatsApp will allow companies to send users marketing messages. The company insists that it will not allow spam and is simply testing systems that replicate the current communications sent to users from banks, airlines and other services that use SMS to notify customers of events such as fraud alerts or travel delays.

However, the company’s updated privacy policy states that “messages you may receive containing marketing could include an offer for something that might interest you”.

Users can block messages being sent to them from numbers or accounts entirely, which should mean they can also block any messages sent from companies, should the function remain unchanged.

The company still insists that it does not sell ads when activating the service, linking to a blog post from 18 June 2012 titled “why we don’t sell ads” that emphatically states that “remember, when advertising is involved you the user are the product”. The post was made before the sale of billion-user messaging service to Facebook, although the company insists that the values still stand.

Multi-pillar approach

Facebook has been making moves to increase its share of user time on mobile devices by pushing services such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp that operate in addition to its core social network and Facebook app. In doing so it has added further users, beyond those signed up and using Facebook, to its user base.

But it has yet to fully leverage that non-Facebook userbase for its main revenue generating activity, advertising. Instagram has advertising, but neither WhatsApp nor Facebook Messenger currently does.

Messenger has been used as a test bed by Facebook for interactions with chatbots, brands and businesses, allowing users to book tickets to shows, ask for news and have services delivered to them in text or multimedia form along with their friends’ messages.

Although the crossover between WhatsApp and Facebook’s other services is undoubtedly high in developed nations, WhatsApp’s strength has been in reaching those who would not use or cannot use Facebook in developing nations and areas of poor connectivity.

How Facebook proceeds with revenue generation from the messaging service beyond the obvious customer service activities without spamming users remains to be seen. Many fear the introduction of marketing messages and other ads, despite the assurances of WhatsApp that there will be no spam.

Don’t let WhatsApp coax you into sharing your data with Facebook

When WhatsApp, the messaging app, launched in 2009, it struck me as one of the most interesting innovations I’d seen in ages – for two reasons. The first was that it seemed beautifully designed from the outset: it was clean, minimalist and efficient; and, secondly, it had a business model that did not depend on advertising. Instead, users got a year free, after which they paid a modest annual subscription.

Better still, the co-founder Jan Koum, seemed to have a very healthy aversion to the surveillance capitalism that underpins the vast revenues of Google, Facebook and co, in which they extract users’ personal data without paying for it, and then refine and sell it to advertisers. In a blog post headed “Why We Don’t Sell Ads” written in June 2012, for example, Koum quoted approvingly a memorable line uttered by Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt) in the movie Fight Club: “Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need.”

“When we sat down to start our own thing together three years ago,” Koum wrote, “we wanted to make something that wasn’t just another ad clearing house. We wanted to spend our time building a service people wanted to use because it worked and saved them money and made their lives better in a small way. We knew that we could charge people directly if we could do all those things. We knew we could do what most people aim to do every day: avoid ads.”

And Koum was as good as his word. WhatsApp grew and grew, because it did what it said on the tin. Its growth was funded by $58m from Sequoia Capital, the only venture capital firm to invest in it. By February 2013, WhatsApp claimed 200m active users worldwide, and had a valuation of $1.5bn – not huge by Silicon Valley standards but pretty good for an outfit that had an honest business model.

And then, in February 2014, something strange happened. Facebook offered to buy the company – for $19bn – and Koum and co took the bait. Given that Facebook’s business depends on selling ads, most of us wondered what had happened to Koum’s admirable principles and concluded, gloomily, that everyone has a price.

But for a while WhatsApp continued as before within the Facebook stockade. Not only did it not sell ads, but in November 2014 it announced that it was introducing end-to-end encryption for all WhatsApp communications – which meant that nobody, not even Facebook, could read (and thereby monetise) its users’ messages. So the puzzle continued: why on earth had Mark Zuckerberg paid such a whopping price for a service that he couldn’t exploit?

Now we know. On 25 August WhatsApp announced that it was changing its terms and conditions and its privacy policy. In a blog post which is a masterpiece of lawyerly euphemism, it tells us that it is going to “share” with Facebook its users’ phone numbers and details of the last time they signed on to WhatsApp. Every user is asked to click “Agree” to this proposition – although, of course, they can always reverse this agreement if they can find the relevant section of their settings.

Needless to say, this radical change has nothing to do with the needs of WhatsApp’s corporate owners. Perish the thought: it’s to improve things for you, the user. It’s all about using “your WhatsApp account information to improve your Facebook ads and products experience”. And, just to make sure you understand the magnitude of the decision you are about to make, “If you tap ‘Don’t Share’, you won’t be able change this in the future”.

Seasoned observers of the computer industry will recognise this for what it is: just another illustration of the power of the default setting. In marketing-speak, it’s how to “Nudge Your Customers Toward Better Choices” – an implementation of the philosophy set out by Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler in their book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness.

Of course, it’s true – as Sunstein and Thaler argue – that defaults can sometimes be used to ensure that people do things that are good for them, like ensuring that they enrol in a pension scheme. But in the computer industry, defaults are often deployed purely in the interests of corporations.

So if you’re a WhatsApp user, don’t fall for this particular wheeze: go to “Settings”, select “Account”, “Share my account info” and tap on “Don’t Share”. And do it now, because time’s running out.

Facebook Is Partnering With Cool Link To Launch Express Wifi In Lagos

Facebook believes internet connectivity is a fundamental human right and by Jove, they’re doing everything to prove that. Word has it they’re partnering with Cool Link to set up Express Wifi hotspots in various parts of Lagos.

ExpressWifi is a Facebook initiative that gives mobile device owners in underserved communities access to fast and affordable internet service through partnerships with local internet service providers. Facebook is also providing a software that’ll help ISPs and entrepreneurs sell or provide internet with a 15% commission on each data sale. It’s already live in India and seems to be doing better than Free Basics did over there.

Set to launch officially in Lagos some time this week, Express Wifi hotspots will have service speeds of 10Mbps with plans ranging from as low as N40 for 100MB daily to N1,600 for 5GB monthly. The Express Wifi hotspots are already live in some parts of Lagos – Ikota Shopping Complex, for instance – and will be rolled out to other parts of Nigeria as soon as the entire Lagos State is taken care of.

There’s already a site where people can sign up for a 14-day free trial (with up to 100MB per day) but coverage areas haven’t been announced yet. We’ll update this as soon as we find out where these areas are.

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3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.
There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing and is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

What are these three tactics?

1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want later and will find out that the sale is closed. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.

3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.
Always remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can made 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do.
Besides, think of the huge paychecks you will be receiving…

hoosing a Credit Card In the UK

Credit card companies are all over the world and so are credit cards.  Some of the credit card companies only offer cards to a specific country or region that they are in.  If you live in the UK, then you might need some information about credit cards that are available for you.

Credit cards that you get in the UK are not any different from any other credit cards.  The credit card companies offer special incentives to get customers like 0% APR for a specific time period, no annual fees, and you may even be able to apply for the credit cards online.  Many credit card companies based in the UK do not give their cards to consumers in other countries due to security reasons.  However, if you live in the UK, then there are many companies that are sure to let you fill out an application to receive their specific credit card.

There are many companies that encourage you to apply online.  They overwhelm you with ads, promising a 60 second approval.

Credit card use in the UK can cause financial problems just as it does all over the world.  People in the UK owe tens of billions of pounds in credit card debt at an interest rate of over 16% and this figure keeps getting higher and higher.  Debts over 2500 pounds are common to ten percent of the people in UK and combined with high interest rates, this figure is near impossible to get to come down.

There are some benefits to having a credit card that a great many UK consumers find appealing.  Some of the credit card companies offer cash back with purchases, air miles, travel insurance, and insurance for your purchases.  A credit card looks good to many UK consumers, especially when you add in the discount vouchers.  

When you decide to apply for a credit card, you should research all of your choices to find the one that is best for you.  Once you receive it, you need to be careful in using it or you could find yourself in a financial mess.  If you use your credit card wisely, then you will find that it will make your life easier, no matter what country you live in.

Learning About Cash Back Credit Cards: Good or Bad Idea?

Getting a credit card that offers cash back always sounds like a good idea.  What could be better than getting cash back on all the purchases that you make with your credit card?  It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?  

Well, there are cards that give you free cash, but it is usually only around 1% cash back.  However, free money is free money, right?  Well, sometimes.

If you like to buy a lot of things in one month, this kind of credit card probably sounds great to you.  However, you need to keep in mind that they are not going to give you cash back on every purchase that you make.  Even if they claim to give you cash back on every purchase, they will only give you up to a certain amount per transaction.  The company also has a strict limit on the amount that they will give back to their customers.  If you read the little, bitty print on the form that you signed, you will see a paragraph with their limits in the terms and agreements.

This is another way to try to draw in new customers for these companies.  It is a good credit card to have and sounds great in theory, but they will have to check your credit rating before they will give you their card.

Research different credit card companies to see what they are offering.  You may be surprised to find a cash back credit card that offers you just what you need and want with a high cash back percentage, few limits on the amount they will give you back, and instant cash deposits when you make each purchase with their card.

Although these credit cards seem like a great thing to have, some companies will need your credit rating to be great too.  However, there are credit card companies that offer these cards to people with a low credit rating to help them rebuild their credit.  Research all of your options.

What should your decision be?  If you have a good credit rating, then this card is a great option for you.  Research different card companies – there are cards out there that offer you up to 3% cash back and impose very few limits.  If, however, you have a bad credit rating, you may want to find a credit card that will help you rebuild your credit.  

Mobile Communication A Cutting Edge Technology

Wireless communication has diffused faster than any other communication technology in history. To begin with, the most pervasive technology in this field has been Mobile Phone which brought a wave of variations in the mode of communication.

Within a span of about 10 years Mobile telephony has moved from being the technology of a privileged few to an essentially main stream technology. It actually began to take off world wide in mid 90s when the ratio of mobile to land line phone went up from 1:34(1991) to about 1:8(1998). By 2000 the ratio of mobile phone to land line phone rose to 1:2 and by 2003, mobile phone subscriptions had overtaken mainline subscription for the first time. Since then mobile phone subscriptions have continued to rise effectively at a fast rate. With the passage of time mobile phones have not only become substitutes for wired phones but have overshadowed them.

There has been a significant increase in mobile phone subscription in the past decade and mobile phones have outstripped fixed lines in most countries. The main reason being that the mobile phones come with a wealth of features like text messaging, email, internet access, games, music playback, personal organizer, etc. The mobile phone technology is getting more and more advanced with each passing day.

Considering the importance of WIRELESS INTERNET --Although there are a variety of ways to access the internet wirelessly( for example mobile phones, pagers, laptops, PDAs) access via mobile phone has received the most kind attention in the past few years , probably because mobile phone is the primary mode used to remain connected with information and resources.

It has been rightly quoted "With mobile phone in your hands the world is at your finger tips."

Further emphasizing on the future of internet and communication it has been rightly said "The future of the internet and computing application is not going be in the home or at the office ; its going to be MOBILE" ----Nigel Clifford, Sybian Secondly preference for asynchronous communication method suits the fast & modern lifestyle. As we all know email is considered more efficient, faster, cost effective and secured means of communication. Today's global workforce demands "anywhere, anytime" technology. Information on the move is a necessity as well as an advantage.

Emails brought us the freedom to communicate quickly with anyone anywhere over the internet. Being the most cost effective and efficient method to transmit all kinds of electronic data, it has become indispensable for professionals, students and probably for everybody who has the need to access emails while on the move.

 For modern enterprises, the benefits of accessing emails on mobile are clear: its convenient and provides for new opportunities, and they are an exceptionally effective way for workers to stay connected with both colleagues and back-office information It provides

1. Increased employee productivity while away from the office.

Mobile Communication Technology Felon Jobs - Big Money Felon Job

With the economy being as bad as it is its hard for anyone to get jobs. It's even harder to find jobs for felons. Many felons have found that even if they have paid their debt to society, and have completely rehabilitated themselves, no one wants to take a risk on them. But, there are ways to find a job for felons. One way is to get more education. If you have more education, and are qualified to do a useful job, then you are much more likely to find a company that is willing to take a chance on hiring you.

 One of these fields is mobile communication technology. These days, more and more people are accessing the Internet anywhere but home. There is a wealth of wireless devices that can access the 'net. Everything from mp3 players to wireless appliances can go online, to be more functional, and make lives easier. An entry-level job for felons in the field is an excellent idea.

 Support positions in mobile technology are in growing demand, because as more people use those wireless systems, they are going to need maintenance. Maintenance includes making sure that servers work, and repairing any problems with those servers. Without the servers, there is no connecting ability to the internet. A different job for felons would be field tech. With this job, you would go out and directly with customers, giving them support and troubleshooting as needed.

 If you need a job for a felon, and are interested in working in the IT field, especially mobile communications, you need to get some training. it is recommended to get at least an associates degree. There are schools that offer specialized programs throughout the country. Some of the classes include basic electronics, introduction into mobile communication technology, and Linux networking. This last one is important because many servers use Linux based operating systems. You will also learn IP, as well as taking classes in mobile communication devices, so that you are familiar with devices of all kinds. If you are good with computers, and interested in finding a good job for felons with heavy potential for advancement, this is the field for you.

Mobile Phones - A Result of an Improved Technology

Gone are the days when people were not able to communicate with their loved ones if they are sitting far away from them. They had to catch them to inform about any good or bad information or to share their dreadful and pleasing moments with their friends. With the advent of technology, the time has come when people became more advanced and they got an opportunity to talk with their friends and family members sitting at a place. This all could be possible with the betterment of technology which had introduced an advanced electronic device known today mobile phone using it people could performed the task of communicating very easily. Today, with the help of this device, a plenty of tasks can be done.

These days, among the gadgets mobile communication products are responsible to generate almost half of the revenue. A huge number of research workers and scientists belong from well renowned companies are continuously working towards developing new mobile services every day. This has come into the form of boom in the technology. When people think of buying mobile phones, the first thing that they consider is portability combined with utilities.

In earlier days, when people had limited resources, the mobile phones came in the market in relatively large size in comparison to today's mobile phones. One of the first portable mobile phones seemed to be about a foot long and had nothing but telecommunication services. But nowadays you can call most of the modern mobile phones a miniature computer. Before there were very few mobile companies and hence the business was almost monopolistic. That is why the speed of the development was very less.

After nearly a quarter century of pocket mobile research the market has become very competitive.A plenty of reputed mobile phones' brands you can find in the market today. Now mobile phone companies do their own deep research before launching a product in the market due to the more demand of today's people. Undoubtedly, the competition has revolutionized the mobile cell phone technology to a very large extent.

These days, a mobile can be used for various purposes. Apart from using as a communication device, some people use it as a business devise making transactions and storing business data while others use it for entertainment purposes. Some phones are equipped with modern high resolution gaming facilities while others can be used as a portable mp3 player. In addition to that, some also have integrated high megapixel digital cameras with inbuilt flash.

Without any doubt, mobile phones have truly given a new meaning to communication. People can connect to their friends in any part of the world with just a click. They can not only talk to them but also can send them mails, files and videos using this unique device. A wide selection of models with advanced features and applications can be found in the market form where people can choose their desired cell phone. All the credit goes to the technological development and research which has made this possible.