The European Commission has announced WhatsApp has committed to providing users greater transparency over changes to its terms of service. In addition, WhatsApp has agreed to make it easier for users to reject updates and explain whether such rejection will result in the user no longer being able to use the messaging app. Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said: “I welcome WhatsApp's commitments to changing its practices to comply with EU rules, actively informing users of any changes to their contract, and respecting their choices instead of asking them each time they open the app.”
The announcement stems from ongoing dialogue with the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC Network) and its demands for clarity and questions over changes to WhatsApp's privacy notice changes. The CPC Network got involved after the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) filed a complaint in 2021 following WhatsApp's privacy notice changes, which the company made after the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) issued WhatsApp a €225m fine over data sharing transparency.
Not everyone is happy with WhatsApp's promise to be more transparent, as Barron's reports the BEUC has called the commitments "a disappointment for consumers".
What is this page?
You are reading a summary article on the Privacy Newsfeed, a free resource for DPOs and other professionals with privacy or data protection responsibilities helping them stay informed of industry news all in one place. The information here is a brief snippet relating to a single piece of original content or several articles about a common topic or thread. The main contributor is listed in the top left-hand corner, just beneath the article title.
The Privacy Newsfeed monitors over 300 global publications, of which more than 4,350 summary articles have been posted to the online archive dating back to the beginning of 2020. A weekly roundup is available by email every Friday.
