WhatsApp Face and Hand Effects Privacy Notice
Effective October 15, 2024
This Privacy Notice applies if you opt in to face and hand effects. It explains how we use and protect your information in order to generate these camera effects and supplements the WhatsApp Privacy Policy.
Face and hand effects are augmented reality features that react as people in the scene move, speak and express themselves. They include filters, masks and other interactive digital experiences. You can use these effects in your camera, photos and videos.
Information we use to make face and hand effects work
When you use face and hand effects, we need to show them in the right place in your camera, photos and videos and make some effects react to your gestures, expressions or movements. For example, if you select puppy ears, we need to make sure the ears appear on the top of your head and stay there as you move. To do this, we estimate the location of parts of your face (like your eyes, nose or mouth) and points on your face, eyes or hands. For some effects, we apply these points to a generic model of a face and adjust it to mimic your facial expressions and movements. This information is not used to identify you.
What we do with this information
We don’t process or store this information on our servers or share it with third parties. The information is processed, but not stored on your device and is deleted following your use of the chosen effect.
Using face and hand effects with other people
When you use face and hand effects, we may process information from images of other people who appear in your camera feed, photo or video. For example, when you use effects on a video call, someone in the background may have puppy ears shown on their head.
Additional information for US residents
If you are a US resident, you will need to turn on face and hand effects before you are able to access them on WhatsApp. The first time you try to use face and hand effects on WhatsApp, you'll be asked to turn on effects.
You can change your face and hand effects setting at any time. If the setting is turned off, you will still have access to other features.
By turning on effects, you agree that you will only use effects if all of the people who appear in your camera feed, photo or video have also turned on effects through their WhatsApp accounts, or you are their legally authorized representative and consent to the terms of this notice on their behalf.