14 DAY TRIAL // WhatsApp has been sued in Germany over privacy concerns regarding how it collects and shares user data with Facebook.
Despite the fact that it wasn’t long ago that the app turned to end-to-end encryption, earning everyone’s applause for the move, it seems that a change in its terms and privacy policy is at the base of this lawsuit, ZDNet reports.
According to the changes made back in August, the app would coordinate more with Facebook, allowing it to track basic metrics about how often people use the service, but also data to help them better fight spam. To top things off, WhatsApp also noted that if you connected your phone number to your Facebook account, Facebook could work to offer better friend suggestions and to show more relevant ads.
A string of problems
Immediately, these changes caused some uproar among privacy advocates, including officials in the European Union.
Back in September, the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information ordered Facebook to stop collecting and storing WhatsApp data from German users, all 35 million of them. Then, a few months later, Facebook was accused of providing incorrect or misleading information about its intentions regarding WhatsApp’s data back in 2014 when they were reviewing the $19 billion deal.
Now, the situation has taken another turn as the Federation of German Consumer Organization has filed suit looking to put a stop to the data sharing and to force Facebook to delete any data it has already received from WhatsApp.
For its part, WhatsApp feels as if it has complied with all existing laws and the updates comply with EU guidelines.
Whether the court will decide in favor of WhatsApp and Facebook or against them remains to be seen, but the companies will surely get the best lawyers out there. A decision against WhatsApp could have a domino effect.