Ultimatum to WhatsApp users; not applicable to users in Europe

DUBLIN: The issue of forcing WhatsApp users to share data with Facebook does not apply to those in Europe. This is because it has a special agreement with the European Union. All such services here are under the control of the European Regulatory Authority.

A WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed that: “there are no changes to WhatsApp’s data sharing practices in the European region arising from the updated terms of service and privacy policy. 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.” This was confirmed by Niamh Sweeney, the company’s director of policy for the EMEA region.

The situation is that users outside the EU will have to agree to high levels of data sharing. This is while emphasizing the need for strict privacy control in the United States and elsewhere.

With the exception of people living in the European Union, everyone received a pop-up message stating that they must agree to share data if they want to continue using the WhatsApp service. The company presented it as an ultimatum to people who want to continue using the app. The message said that by February 8, people would either have to accept the new terms of service or lose access to WhatsApp from next month.

The new terms are also a change from a 2016 decision that allowed users to avoid transferring their account data to Facebook. This includes sharing phone numbers, friends’ phone numbers, profile names, pictures, status messages, activity status, and detailed diagnostic data from app logs. The new policy also means that Facebook reserves the right to share data collected within the family of online platforms.

There is also the issue of cases where Facebook decides to share that data with third parties. The move is seen as a response to Apple’s new privacy labels on iOS 14.

Facebook is very adamant to collecting metadata. This is because the company makes most of its revenue from advertising. Last month, it plunged into a public image feud with Apple using several newspaper ads, but their effect has yet to produce any results.