On Wednesday 8 June, the European Commission announced that WhatsApp has been asked how it plans to communicate any future updates to its terms of service and to do so in a way that allows users to easily understand the implications of these updates and to freely decide whether they wish to continue using WhatsApp after these updates.
A letter to this effect was sent to the instant messaging company by the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) and the Commission on the same day.
WhatsApp has also been asked to clarify whether it earns revenue from commercial policies relating to user data.
After a letter in January asking it to clarify its privacy policy and the changes to its terms of service in 2021, the company demonstrated that it was providing users with the necessary information on updates, but this information is considered insufficient and confusing.
“WhatsApp must ensure that users understand what they are agreeing to and how their personal data is being used for commercial purposes, in particular to offer services to commercial partners. I reiterate that I expect WhatsApp to fully respect EU rules that protect consumers and their fundamental rights,” commented EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)