WhatsApp forces users to agree to share information with Facebook if they want to continue using this service.
The company warns users with a pop-up notification that “they need to accept these updates in order to continue using WhatsApp” – or delete their accounts.
UK And EU Exception
But Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, said European and UK users would not see the same changes in data sharing, even though they would need to accept new terms.
The exception was accepted by some as a victory for EU secrecy regulators.
The deadline for both regions to accept the change is February 8, after which “you will need to accept these updates to continue using WhatsApp”, the company said in a pop-up warning to users.
The international privacy policy section has been removed, which previously allowed people to opt out of sharing their information with Facebook for the first 30 days after the changes took effect.
Instead, the latest alert points users to its online help centre “if you would prefer to delete your account”.
The move has prompted other people online – including Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk – to ask users to switch to other privacy messaging services such as Signal and Telegram.
Why The Exemption In Europe?
There was initial confusion as to how the improved data sharing would affect EU and UK users.
The “key updates” summary of key changes highlights Facebook’s integration with overseas copy – but does not do so in the European version of the same page.
Later on Thursday, Facebook released a statement saying there would be no changes in the “European region” – which includes the EU, EEA, and post-Brexit UK.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, it is still the case that WhatsApp does not share European region WhatsApp user data with Facebook for the purpose of Facebook using this data to improve its products or advertisements,” a spokesperson said.
However, a new version of European user privacy policy explicitly states that data may be shared with other Facebook companies to show you personalized and offered advertising, make content suggestions, and “help” complete purchases, among other reasons.
Facebook says it does not use WhatsApp information for such purposes in Europe, due to discussions with European data protection organizations.
Some have hailed the development as a result of Europe’s strict privacy laws introduced in recent years.
Dutch MEP Paul Tang tweeted: “Facebook grants itself access to all of our WhatsApp-data unless…. you are living in the EU.
“That’s why data protection is so important.”
Data Being Collected By FB And Whatsapp
The details of the type of data collected by WhatsApp – now shared with Facebook for non-Europeans – are buried in official documents formulating privacy policies and policies.
In a FAQ post, WhatsApp said it shared various user details with other Facebook companies, including:
- phone number and other details provided for registration (such as name)
- details about your phone, including make, model and phone company
- your IP address, which shows the location of your internet connection
- any payment and financial transactions made via WhatsApp
But it also said it could share any data covered by its privacy policy – which could include contacts, status updates, where people use WhatsApp and for how long, and unique user identification numbers.
Facebook has not responded to a request for clarification as to why it made such a sudden change.
