Status: 11/22/2021 2:27 p.m.
WhatsApp supplements its usage rules with information on how customer data is processed. The Meta subsidiary is reacting to a fine from the Irish supervisory authority.
All users of the social media service WhatsApp will be informed about the new usage rules in the coming days. The subsidiary of Meta (formerly: Facebook) is adapting its data protection information.
In the future, data protection information should be more transparent and understandable – users should know what data the app collects, where it is stored and when it is deleted. The chat service emphasized that nothing would change in the technology. Just make the clarifications ordered by the data protection officers. Another component is to present the legal basis of data processing more clearly.
Users do not have to actively consent
However, users do not have to accept new things or take other measures. The users are only informed about the adjustment via a banner, on which the new version of the data protection information is linked. The version will be significantly longer than the previous one.
With the new information, WhatsApp is reacting to a fine imposed by the Irish supervisory authority Data Protection Commission (DPC) in September. WhatsApp has its European headquarters in Ireland, which is why the DPC is responsible for monitoring compliance with European standards.
225 million euros fine
The authority accused the chat service of violating the European General Data Protection Regulation. As a result, WhatsApp has to pay a fine of 225 million euros because users have not been adequately informed about the use of their data. The meta daughter resisted the verdict; however, the litigation could drag on for years.
It is the second highest data protection penalty so far after the 746 million euros that were imposed on Amazon by the Luxembourg data protectionists. The online retailer is also fighting against it.