Turkey Probes Facebook's Move To Collect WhatsApp Data

The Turkish Competition Board said on Monday it launched an investigation into WhatsApp and its owner Facebook after the messaging app asked users to agree to let Facebook collect user data including phone numbers and locations. From a report: In a written statement, the Competition Board said it ruled the data-collection requirement should be suspended until the probe is complete. "The Competition Board has opened an investigation into Facebook and WhatsApp and suspended the requirement to share Whatsapp data," it said. WhatsApp updated its terms of service last Wednesday, allowing Facebook and its subsidiaries to collect user data. The deadline for agreeing to the new terms is Feb. 8.

I am surprised Europe is not doing anything

[kot-begemot-uk]

There was a specific condition on the WhatsApp acquisition by the Eu commission that Facebook does not migrate the users to its platform as well as specific restrictions on how Facebook and WhatsApp are allowed to share data.

I am surprised that the elephant knitting lady has not gone nuclear on this one.

Re:

[PPH]

Turkey is not a member of the EU.

Re:

[kot-begemot-uk]

I know that. I was commenting from the perspective that it is surprising that only Turkey has reacted. I would have expected the big Dreadnoughts (EU, FTC, Korea, Japan, etc) to start firing some shots to get Facebook in a straddle by now.

Re:

[PPH]

I imagine that Facebook follows different policies and procedures depending on what country they operate in. WhatsApp may not do the same data sharing inside the EU.

Re:

[kubajz]

From Reuters in 2016: [reuters.com]

"The issue regards a WhatsApp privacy policy change in August when it said it would share some users’ phone numbers with parent company Facebook, triggering investigations by a number of EU data protection authorities.

The Commission said Facebook had indicated in its notification of the planned acquisition that it would be unable reliably to match the two companies’ user accounts.

“The Commission’s preliminary view is that Facebook gave us incorrect or misle

Re: I am surprised Europe is not doing anything

[Zoxed]

To busy trying to fix the brexit f'up (at the same time as Covid-19 response)

Facebook will...

[Narcocide]

... probe them right back.

Turkey should just suggest alternatives

[fustakrakich]

like Signal or Telegram.

Oh wait, that's too private, need something with a backdoor... Skype!

'Suspend' how?

[mccalli]

I mean, without Facebook changing their backend code to allow specifically for Turkey, it's just going to happen regardless.

I hate this. Unfortunately I have too many contacts using it to withdraw, but I really, really want to.

Re:

[cusco]

Same here, and a lot (probably the majority) don't really care about privacy in any way anyhow. They post their daily lives to Farcebook, complete with photos that have location metadata attached. I'm sure they assume FB already has that data anyway, if they've ever even thought about it.

The move to Signal was smooth and easy

[shubus]

Transitioned out of WhatsApp and deleted the app. The only issue is getting everyone else to do the same. Moved to Signal.