WhatsApp users will soon see a banner with a message about a change to the privacy policy. This adjustment is the result of a fine from the Irish privacy watchdog this fall, who found that the chat service falls short in informing users.
The company says it will not collect any other data and users do not have to agree to the terms again. In the banner WhatsApp explains the changes on three points:
- There are more details about what data is collected and used, why data is kept, when it is deleted and what data WhatsApp receives from other parties.
- It provides more details on why data is shared internationally and how it is protected.
- It is also explained in more detail on which legal grounds data is processed.
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The adjustments are therefore in response to a fine of 225 million euros imposed in September by the Irish privacy watchdog. President Helen Dixon then spoke of “very serious” offenses and stated that the law had been broken on four counts.
What was striking about that case was that Dixon himself initially wanted to impose a much lower fine; under pressure from other privacy watchdogs in the EU, that amount went up.
Whether the Irish authority finds the adjustments sufficient is as yet unclear. WhatsApp emphasizes that it disagrees with the decision and has appealed it.
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