The European Commission said on March 6 that Meta’s WhatsApp has agreed to provide a more transparent explanation of its privacy policy changes introduced in 2021 after receiving complaints from consumers across Europe.
WhatsApp released a new privacy policy in early 2021 that requires users to agree to share data with Facebook and other Meta platforms or they won’t be able to use the app. This sparked discontent and protests from users, leading many to turn to its rival platforms, such as Telegram and Signal.
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and the European Network of consumer authorities said last year that WhatsApp had violated EU law by not explaining its privacy policy changes in plain language.
WhatsApp has now agreed to explain its policy changes and how they will affect users’ rights and has agreed to prominently allow users to choose to accept or reject the changes and to ensure that users can easily turn off pop-up notifications of updates. In addition, WhatsApp has confirmed that it will not share users’ personal data with third parties or other Meta companies (including Facebook) for advertising purposes.
WhatsApp has agreed to improve the way it communicates with consumers and to respect their choices,” said European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova. This is a positive sign that the platform can be held accountable for consumer rights.”
WhatsApp currently has more than 2 billion users worldwide and about 500 million users in Europe.
