WhatsApp Agrees to Make it Easier to Reject App Updates
More than two years after rolling out a controversial privacy policy change, WhatsApp has agreed to make it easier for users to reject terms of service updates.
As part of a deal with the European Union(Opens in a new window), the Meta-owned platform promised to make it easier to reject updates, and "clearly explain" when that denial may limit the app's features.
WhatsApp also confirmed that personal data is not shared with third parties or other Meta companies (Facebook included) for advertising purposes.
"I welcome WhatsApp's commitments to changing its practices to comply with EU rules, actively informing users of any changes to their contract, and respecting their choices instead of asking them each time they open the app," Didier Reynders, EU Commissioner for Justice, said in a statement. "Consumers have a right to understand what they agree to and what that choice entails concretely, so that they can decide whether they want to continue using the platform."
WhatsApp sent the internet into a tailspin in early 2021 when it published a new privacy policy that suggested people had no choice but to share personal data with Facebook if they wanted to keep using the messaging service. Poor communication and general mistrust of social networks prompted backlash and a user exodus; WhatsApp later clarified it would not purge accounts that don't accept its new policy, but instead limit their functionality.
The European Commission got involved last January(Opens in a new window), responding to unfair practice allegations by asking WhatsApp to clarify changes to its privacy policy. It followed up in June(Opens in a new window) with a letter requesting that consumers are "clearly informed about WhatsApp's business model" and
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