There is trouble again between the EU and WhatsApp. The messenger service, which belongs to Meta, is apparently once again showing clear deficiencies in the area of data protection. In particular, the privacy policy is said to be unclearly worded. Now the EU demands an improvement.
And daily greets the groundhog
That WhatsApp gets into trouble with the EU data protection is not the first time. Just three quarters of a year ago we reported on a fine of 225 million euros that the messenger service or parent company Meta had to pay. Then, as now, it was the very strict data protection laws in global comparison that fell on WhatsApp’s feet. But this time, the messenger has a chance to get off lightly. According to the EU Commission, Meta now has one month to revise its privacy policy. This is in the opinion of the responsible EU Commissioner namely too incomprehensible.
More details, please
In particular, it must be clearer from the data protection statement which personal data is used for which purposes. Otherwise, it is a violation of EU consumer protection law. Especially with regard to the purposes of the data collections, Meta shows itself from experience very covered. This is also the case with WhatsApp. Accordingly, the EU Commission is demanding detailed information on how Meta earns money with the customer data. The approach of tying the use of the messenger to the consent to a new privacy policy is also not legal. This is what WhatsApp had done in 2021. Once a customer had agreed, it would also have to be made clear to him or her that changes could be made to the terms.
Data sharing with Facebook
Data protection experts are particularly a huge thorn in the side of one approach. So WhatsApp seems to pass on data to Facebook. The Messenger itself vehemently negates this statement. However, a closer look at the new privacy policy reveals that this is somewhat surprising. After all, the service clearly states that data would also be forwarded to Meta’s social network. Apparently, the company still has to make a few important revisions here.
