Actions against WhatsApp! Will the controversial change upside down? Policy – users should be happy

Urgent proceedings have been opened against the parent company Facebook in Hamburg –
1 hour ago

Hamburg The data protection officer in Hamburg wants to stop the controversial change in terms and conditions to WhatsApp and thus prevent further data collection by the parent company Facebook. What does this mean for users?

Should WhatsApp cancel its general terms and conditions after all? The parent company Facebook wants to adapt the guidelines to users so that the group’s other subsidiaries can also use the data collected. Anyone who does not agree will be banned from the messaging service.

This change was actually supposed to be introduced in February, but after mass protests it has now been postponed to mid-May.

Due to WhatsApp’s terms and conditions: Urgent measures have been opened against Facebook

The Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (HmbBfDI) now wants to prevent the new terms and conditions from ever coming into force. Attorney Johannes Caspar has opened urgent proceedings against Facebook Ireland Ltd., the European branch of the social giant.

Support stopped! WhatsApp no ​​longer works on these smartphones

The data protection officer wants to prevent Facebook from using the data collected for marketing or advertising purposes, for example. Caspar said it was important “to ensure that the large number of users, which makes the service attractive to many people, does not lead to arbitrary exploitation of the power of data.” “Unfortunately, no regulatory review of the actual processing between WhatsApp and Facebook has yet to be known.”

The data protection officer wants to protect users from “unlawful mass exchange of data”

The aim is to protect affected users from “unlawful mass exchange of data”. Decision must be made on May 15th before the General Terms and Conditions change. The data protection official in Hamburg had already argued in court with Facebook about data use four and a half years ago – and won.

This measure falls under the jurisdiction of the Hamburg authorities because the German branch of Facebook is there.