In February 2021, WhatsApp Introduced its new update that will enable Facebook to lump the users data information to all of the Facebook owned services. Since that time, WhatsApp has been facing criticism from all over the world. Despite everyone criticizing the new privacy update, WhatsApp announced that it will keep going forward with the terms and services labelled as controversial.
Currently, a privacy regulator from Germany has initiated investigation to stop the messaging app WhatsApp, from carrying on the privacy policy update. Johannes Caspar, commissioner for data protection and freedom of information at Hamsburg is looking forward to inhibit the social media giant, Facebook from accumulating the data collected from WhatsApp. He believes that Facebook will be using the data to stretch its marketing as well as advertising business this is why he has decided to take things in his own hands. In a statement, Johannes expressed his thoughts, he stated that currently it is possible that the data sharing between WhatsApp and Facebook are planned to be illegally forced because of lack of the informed and voluntary consent. He further added that in order to stop this unlawful massive sharing of data and to finally put an end on the pressure developed on millions of people through unlawful consent a formal legal way has been taken for administrative procedure that will protect the data. Caspar also said that up to 60 million people in Germany use WhatsApp and is ahead of Facebook in terms of most widely used social media application.
The decisions need to be taken before 15th May, as it is the deadline given by WhatsApp and after this due date, users will be forced to accept the new privacy policy update and if they won’t accept it then they will no longer be able to use WhatsApp. Since the proceedings were started by a German based privacy regulator, it is possible that whatever the decision is taken, it will only be applicable on German residents but still it can set an example for the regulators belonging to other countries.
In response to the concerns raised by the regulators from Hamsburg WhatsApp tried to clear up as much as it could. The social media giant released a statement stating that the misunderstandings related to this will soon be cleared and it also added that WhatsApp is committed in delivering secure and private messages. Facebook also jumped in in order to clear up the picture by addressing that if a user accepts the WhatsApp’s new terms of service, they are not agreeing to any expansion that will lead Facebook to share more data and also that this new update has no impact on the user privacy while chatting with their friends and family no matter wherever they are present.
Later WhatsApp updated the information available on their website to let the users know that how the date is processed from collecting to sharing and using. According to WhatsApp, both Facebook and WhatsApp has no access to the messages, calls attachments or any detail that is being shared. This is due to encrypted end-to-end message service that does not keep any record of the recipient for the messages sent.
Read next: WhatsApp to Grant Group Members the Access to Control Disappearing Messages in Group Chats
Currently, a privacy regulator from Germany has initiated investigation to stop the messaging app WhatsApp, from carrying on the privacy policy update. Johannes Caspar, commissioner for data protection and freedom of information at Hamsburg is looking forward to inhibit the social media giant, Facebook from accumulating the data collected from WhatsApp. He believes that Facebook will be using the data to stretch its marketing as well as advertising business this is why he has decided to take things in his own hands. In a statement, Johannes expressed his thoughts, he stated that currently it is possible that the data sharing between WhatsApp and Facebook are planned to be illegally forced because of lack of the informed and voluntary consent. He further added that in order to stop this unlawful massive sharing of data and to finally put an end on the pressure developed on millions of people through unlawful consent a formal legal way has been taken for administrative procedure that will protect the data. Caspar also said that up to 60 million people in Germany use WhatsApp and is ahead of Facebook in terms of most widely used social media application.
The decisions need to be taken before 15th May, as it is the deadline given by WhatsApp and after this due date, users will be forced to accept the new privacy policy update and if they won’t accept it then they will no longer be able to use WhatsApp. Since the proceedings were started by a German based privacy regulator, it is possible that whatever the decision is taken, it will only be applicable on German residents but still it can set an example for the regulators belonging to other countries.
In response to the concerns raised by the regulators from Hamsburg WhatsApp tried to clear up as much as it could. The social media giant released a statement stating that the misunderstandings related to this will soon be cleared and it also added that WhatsApp is committed in delivering secure and private messages. Facebook also jumped in in order to clear up the picture by addressing that if a user accepts the WhatsApp’s new terms of service, they are not agreeing to any expansion that will lead Facebook to share more data and also that this new update has no impact on the user privacy while chatting with their friends and family no matter wherever they are present.
Later WhatsApp updated the information available on their website to let the users know that how the date is processed from collecting to sharing and using. According to WhatsApp, both Facebook and WhatsApp has no access to the messages, calls attachments or any detail that is being shared. This is due to encrypted end-to-end message service that does not keep any record of the recipient for the messages sent.
Read next: WhatsApp to Grant Group Members the Access to Control Disappearing Messages in Group Chats
