Facebook’s WhatsApp has been given until the end of next month to explain changes to its privacy policy and whether it complies with Eu consumer protection laws. According to the European Commission, the move comes after complaints by consumer groups.
The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) and eight of its members took their complaints to the EU executive and European network of consumer groups.
The complaints say the chat app is unfairly pushing users to accept the new privacy policy, which gives WhatsApp the ability to share some data with its parent company, Facebook, and other firms within its sphere of influence.
WhatsApp needs to make some things clear
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said he communicated his worries and asked that the company clarify its policy and check that it complies with the bloc’s consumer protection laws.
WhatsApp has until the end of February to reply with a concrete commitment on how the concerns raised should be addressed.
The issues raised include whether the company provides sufficient information about its new terms of service and if its notifications prompting users to accept a new privacy policy are fair.
Concerns about privacy
The Commission raised some concerns about the exchange of users’ data between WhatsApp and third parties or other Facebook/Meta entities.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said the company looks forward to explaining to the Commission how it protects users’ privacy “in compliance with our obligations under EU law.”
Facebook’s reputation is tarnished by its involvement in many high-profile, damaging societal and political shifts across the globe, which is not helped by its long history of breaking the law and giving insincere half-apologies after raking in billions of dollars from selling its users’ data.
Will this amount to anything? Only time will tell.
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