Weekly News 26

France orders Whatsapp to stop sharing user data with Facebook without consent

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/19/france-orders-whatsapp-stop-sharing-user-data-facebook-without-consent

facebook, messenger, whatsapp and instagram logos on an Android smartphone screen

Key Data/ Statistical Info 
  • The French data protection agency, Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), said on Monday that WhatsApp did not have a legal basis to share user data under French law for “business intelligence” purposes. 
  • The watchdog said WhatsApp had violated its obligation to cooperate with CNIL and had not properly obtained users’ consent to begin sharing their phone numbers with Facebook.
  • “The only way to refuse the data transfer for ‘business intelligence’ purpose is to uninstall the application,” the CNIL said in a statement.
  • The move, which Facebook said was not possible at the time of acquisition of the messaging app, drew warnings from data regulators over explicit consent.
  • The European Commission fined Facebook €110m (£94m) in May for providing incorrect and misleading information on its takeover of WhatsApp.

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