WhatsApp has finally agreed to a series of commitments to end an EU consumer inquiry into how it distributes updates to its terms of service.
If you remember correctly, WhatsApp adopted new terms of service in 2021 stipulating that it would share your private data with another Meta social network: Facebook. Following consumer complaints and intervention from the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network, Meta issued a confusing policy on how this data would be used.
These new conditions were at high risk of getting stuck in Europe because of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and that is exactly what happened. The European Consumers’ Organization (BEUC) and the European Network of Consumer Authorities had let WhatsApp know that they had not clarified the changes in clear, understandable languagewhich was a violation of European Union laws.
WhatsApp finally gives in to European regulations
After more than a year of waiting, WhatsApp has now agreed to explain changes to EU user contracts and how they might affect their rights. The company has also agreed to prominently display the ability for users to accept or reject changes, and pledges to ensure that users can easily dismiss pop-up notifications about updates. .
WhatsApp also took the opportunity to clarify what it was doing with your data. The company has confirmed that the personal data of users are not shared with third parties or other Meta companiesincluding Facebook, for advertising purposes.
Going forward, the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network will be responsible for upholding WhatsApp’s word by monitoring how the company implements these commitments. In case of violation of these commitments, the platform could be fined up to 4% of its annual turnover. It remains to be seen over the next few weeks whether WhatsApp will deliver on its word.