Germany blocks WhatsApp data to Facebook over privacy

Berlin, Sept. 27: German data protection authorities on Tuesday said they had blocked Facebook from collecting subscriber data from its subsidiary WhatsApp citing privacy concerns.

Facebook and WhatsApp promised in the wake of the Silicon Valley giant’s 2014 acquisition of the messaging app that they would not share data, Hamburg’s commissioner for data protection and freedom of information Johannes Caspar said in a statement.

He added that Facebook would be required to delete any data already received from WhatsApp in Germany. “It has to be ( the users’) decision whether they want to connect their account with Facebook,” Mr Caspar said. “Facebook has to ask for their permission in advance.”

WhatsApp announced in August that it would begin sharing data with Facebook, to allow better targeted advertising. Currently, users of the instant messenger must opt out of sending information to Facebook through WhatsApp’s settings on their smartphone. Mr Caspar said that he had acted to protect the privacy of 35 million WhatsApp users in Germany.