UK privacy regulator to look into WhatsApp changes

News Wireless United Kingdom 29 AUG 2016
UK privacy regulator to look into WhatsApp changes
The UK's personal data protection regulator announced it will look at the recent changes announced by WhatsApp in its privacy policy. WhatsApp said the changes would include sharing user phone numbers with its parent company Facebook and businesses, suggesting users could be set to receive advertising over the messaging service. 

The Information Commissioner's Office said it was informed of the changes, and is "looking into this". It noted that while no prior approval is needed for such changes, the privacy policy must remain within data protection laws. The short statement follows Elizabeth Denham taking up the position of Information Commissioner in July.

Categories:

Mobile

Companies:

WhatsApp

Countries:

United Kingdom

Tags:

Messaging, Regulations, Advertising services

Related Articles

UNITED KINGDOM 8 NOV 2016

Facebook suspends WhatsApp data sharing after UK probe

Facebook has agreed to suspend sharing personal data from WhatsApp in the UK for ads and product development, following an investigation by the UK privacy regulator. In a statement, ICO Elizabeth Denham said the regulator "set out the law clearly to Facebook", and the company agreed "to pause" using data from UK WhatsApp users. The ICO asked Facebook and WhatsApp to sign an undertaking committing to better explaining to customers how their data will be used, and to giving users ongoing control over that inf

EUROPE 31 OKT 2016

EU privacy regulators probe WhatsApp-Facebook data sharing

The EU's Article 29 group has started an investigation into WhatsApp's privacy policy. The investigation is a result of WhatsApp starting to share some of its data with parent company Facebook. In a letter to WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum, the work group said that is has serious concerns about how WhatsApp informed users of the change in its policy and whether the consent of users can be considered valid. It also noted that the change in policy contradicts what Facebook previously said, that it would not share pers

ITALY 31 OKT 2016

Italian watchdog launches probe into 'unfair' WhatsApp terms

Italy's data protection authority, Garante Privacy, has announced the launch of an official investigation into whether WhatsApp forced users to share personal data with its parent company Facebook and whether the contract terms it imposed on users are "unfair". WhatsApp could be fined up to EUR 5 million if it's proven that the app breached the country's consumer code by leading users to believe that they weren't allowed to continue using it unless they agreed to share their personal data.

GLOBAL 29 AUG 2016

Facebook automates 'Trending' feature

Facebook has announced an update to its 'Trending' feature to make it more automated and remove the potential for human bias. In response to recent demands for more transparency from Republican members of the US Congress, Facebook said an internal probe had found no evidence of systematic political bias but it had still proceeded to make changes to maintain Trending as "a way for people to access a breadth of ideas and commentary about a variety of topics." Facebook said a more algorithmically driven proces

GLOBAL 25 AUG 2016

WhatsApp to share users' phone numbers with Facebook

WhatsApp has announced an updated privacy policy that will give it the right to share users' phone numbers with its parent company, Facebook. The move, which comes over two years after Facebook acquired the messaging app for USD 19 billion, will lead to better friend suggestions and more relevant ads, said WhatsApp, adding that by sharing user data it will be able to "better track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp." The company was keen to emphasise that

ITALY 28 JUN 2016

Italy considers WhatsApp regulation, fair payment - report

Italian communications regulator Agcom could impose new regulatory obligations on "consumer communication services" such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber, and require them to pay operators for using their networks, reports La Repubblica. The watchdog is planning to propose an "obligation to negotiate" with telecommunications companies as well as a requirement to respect Italian privacy laws, said the report. The proposed payment to operators should be "equitable, proportionate and non-discriminatory", and se

NETHERLANDS 16 DEC 2014

Dutch privacy regulator investigates Facebook policy

The Dutch privacy regulator CBP plans to investigate Facebook's new privacy policy. The regulator sent Facebook a letter asking it not to roll out the new terms until the investigation is completed. Facebook intends to implement the new policy, first announced in late November, worldwide from the start of 2015. According to the CBP, the policy gives Facebook the right to use photos and information from Facebook profiles for commercial purposes. Part of the policy also allows Facebook and its subsidiaries, i

UNITED KINGDOM 2 JUL 2014

ICO investigates Facebook over psychological experiment

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK is investigating whether Facebook violated data protection laws by allowing researchers to conduct a psychological experiment on users, reports the Financial Times. The ICO said it would investigate after widespread anger when the experiment was revealed. It will also contact data protection authorities in Ireland, where Facebook as its European headquarters.

NETHERLANDS 25 FEB 2014

Dutch privacy regulator threatens WhatsApp with fine

The Dutch data protection regulator CBP has threatened WhatsApp with a fine for violation of privacy rules. The mobile messaging service not only collects the mobile numbers of its users but also those of all their contacts on their phones, even if these don't use WhatsApp. The CBP flagged the violation already last year and said it has still not received an appropriate response from WhatsApp. The company did make some changes to its policies but has not stopped collecting contact details from user's addres

GERMANY 21 FEB 2014

German data protection office concerned by WhatsApp deal

The data protection authorities (ULD) in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein are advising WhatsApp customers to change provider after its sale to US company Facebook. The ULD said that the acquisition gave rise to specific data security issues, especially considering that many Facebook users had already swapped to WhatsApp amid concerns about their privacy.

Just In

19 DEC 16:42

SLT-Mobitel launches 5G network in Sri Lanka

19 DEC 16:19

Dialog Axiata launches 5G network, connects 1.5 million subscribers

19 DEC 15:56

UK govt to ban AI-enabled nudification apps to protect women, girls

19 DEC 15:42

3 UK launches last-minute Christmas sale

Commentary

13:56

Video market set for slower growth ahead

11:38

Netflix buys Warner Bros to deepen content catalogue

11:11

KPN's mixed performance in Q3 raises questions for strategy day

15:26

Stock markets breaking records but what happened to Odido's IPO plans?

Background

01:04

The week in telecom: Wi-Fi bolt-ons take off to boost broadband growth, video market works on consolidation

01:39

The week in telecom: Netflix wins bidding for Warner Bros, Apple poaches new execs, Samsung debuts trifold

13:51

Proximus vs. Telenet: Proximus performs better in Q3 while Telenet uses up cash

14:16

Proximus Domestic still struggling with low margins

Complete profile

Before downloading the whitepaper, we would like to ask you to complete your profile with company and position. After confirming you will receive the white paper.