The main regulator for the protection of data of users of Facebook (and all its associated products) in Germany has prohibited the social network from using the data of all its WhatsApp customers. This measure continues with the controversy of the latest privacy terms released by the messaging application, which the authority believes are completely illegal.
Possible violation of privacy
The measure follows the recent debates unleashed in various areas of the country, such as in the city of Hamburg, after WhatsApp asked users to accept the new terms or they would be unable to continue using the application. The alarm went off in the body that watches over the privacy rights of users, since throughout Germany, there are almost 60 million users who use WhatsApp.
The head of the Data Protection Authority in Hamburg, Johannes Caspar, declared after WhatsApp released its new package of updated privacy terms, that this order sought to violate the rights and freedoms of the many millions of users who give their consent to the privacy terms, and that they may be being victims of violations of their rights as consumers and users of the platform.
The regulator assured that his office would try by all means, not only to protect the privacy of users , but also to avoid the use of data without consent, among other things “to influence the decisions of voters to manipulate democratic options. “.
The regulatory body will now bring the case to the European Data Protection Committee, the body responsible for enforcing legislation throughout the European Union. WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has accused the Hamburg data protection authority of misunderstanding the purpose of the update and claims that there was no legitimate basis for the ban.
The messaging application defended the most recent privacy terms, saying that they will not affect, in any way, the confidentiality of messages exchanged with friends and family, and recognizes that its main objective was to help companies communicate better with their customers. through the platform, in particular to allow them to sell their products directly through the application.
A WhatsApp spokesperson immediately made a public statement assuring that since the data protection body’s claims were incorrect, the order would not affect the update. He also stressed that the company would remain fully committed to secure and private communications for all its users.
The regulatory action has opened a new front in Germany over Facebook’s privacy policies , with its national antitrust regulator waging a legal battle over data practices that it says amount to abuse of market dominance. Since 2018, the privacy of various online applications in Europe is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). According to these rules, Ireland supervises Facebook because the company’s European headquarters are located there.
