WhatsApp Sharing Data with Facebook Raises Alarm for Privacy Advocates
CORPUS CHRISTI (KIII NEWS) - Changes announced by WhatsApp have drawn the ire of privacy advocates, who say that the messaging service's plan to share user data with parent company Facebook is against the law and should be blocked.The changes will allow the popular app -- which says it has more than one billion users -- to "coordinate more with Facebook" by sharing the user data, they said.The move prompted The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy to announce they would be filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Privacy Groups File FTC Complaint over WhatsApp Data Sharing with Facebook
Alleging a trail of broken promises, two privacy-focused advocacy groups yesterday filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against a recent WhatsApp privacy policy change that states it will begin sharing user data with parent company Facebook.The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) said in a joint complaint that the proposed change constitutes an unfair and deceptive trade practice, and called on the FTC to investigate.EPIC Consumer Protection Counsel Claire T. Gartland told Threatpost that the FTC has yet to reply to the complaint; the commission does not publicize investigations and filing organizations may not be notified whether the FTC proceeds on a complaint, most of which are ultimately settled without formal hearings.
Privacy Groups Say Facebook Must Make WhatsApp Data Sharing Opt-In, Ask FTC To Intervene
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), two of the biggest digital privacy organizations in the U.S., filed a complaint with the FTC against WhatsApp's new policy to share user data with Facebook.Facebook's New Privacy PolicyWhatsApp's new privacy policy recognizes that user data is protected by end-to-end encryption by default, but it also said contacts and other information will be shared with Facebook for more effective ad targeting.If you were careful, you could opt-out of allowing Facebook to use the data for ads, but Facebook would still get it either way.
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