Facebook stops collecting WhatsApp data across Europe

PanARMENIAN.Net - Facebook has suspended its collection of WhatsApp user data for advertising purposes across Europe, following intense pressure from data privacy watchdogs in the EU, the Financial Times reports.

WhatsApp had announced in August it would share user information with its parent company for the first time, admitting that personal details such as phone numbers and device information would now be used to target advertisements and improve products on Facebook.

WhatsApp users were then notified of the policy change and were given 30 days to opt in or out, or face not being able to access the app.

Facebook has confirmed it has paused the use of European WhatsApp user data for products and advertising purposes since last week. The continent-wide suspension is a result of clashes with European officials over the past month, and will allow time for both sides to articulate their concerns.

“We hope to continue our detailed conversations with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and other data protection officials, and we remain open to working collaboratively to address their questions,” said Facebook.

The social media giant was already being investigated for data protection violations by authorities across the EU, including in the UK, Germany, France and Italy, with Spanish authorities due to open their own inquiry imminently.

In an open letter addressed to WhatsApp last month, the EU’s 28 data protection authorities heavily criticised its practices, appealing to the app’s chief executive Jan Koum to suspend sharing users’ data with Facebook until the legality of the issue could be resolved.

Facebook had already buckled to this pressure in Germany and the UK.

“We’ve set out the law clearly to Facebook, and we’re pleased that they’ve agreed to pause using data from UK WhatsApp users for advertisements or product improvement purposes,” said Elizabeth Denham, the information commissioner, in a statement this month.

“I had concerns that consumers weren’t being properly protected, and it’s fair to say the inquiries my team have made haven’t changed that view. I don’t think users have been given enough information about what Facebook plans to do with their information, and I don’t think WhatsApp has got valid consent from users to share the information,” she added, according to FT.

The suspension was confirmed by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner’s office, Facebook’s primary regulator, which said it would take “appropriate action” after it had investigated the “quality of the notice and information delivered to users of the WhatsApp service prior to their making a choice to either continue using WhatsApp or to cancel their account”.

Facebook said the two services will continue to share back-end user data for administrative reasons such as fighting spam.