Thursday, November 17, 2016

WhatsApp said it will not exchange data of their european users to Facebook – Telam

WhatsApp will not trade with Facebook data of its european users until they are resolved “questions and concerns” that were raised by the data protection authorities of the European Union (EU) after the changes in the privacy policy of the chat service.

Experts argentineans received the news between the positive assessment that involves the action of the states to regulate the privacy and scepticism, by the power of the corporations of the Internet in respect of defined unilaterally changes that affect people.

WhatsApp “will not initiate such an exchange with Facebook until you have had the opportunity to address the questions and concerns that have been raised,” said today the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD) in your web site.

The european authorities of protection of personal data “have received confirmation that WhatsApp has not initiated any exchange of information of the accounts of users of the EU with Facebook for the company to use in order to improve the products of the social network and the experiences of the advertising of users, including those who accepted that such information be shared with Facebook with such purposes”, said the AEPD.

that way, the agency is referred to the response of WhatsApp to the letter that the EU authorities have sent on the 27th of October to the CEO of the chat service, Jan ” Koum, in which it expressed its “doubts and concerns” by the changes made in the privacy policies of the platform.

The company’s instant-messaging application acquired by Facebook in 2014, had reported in August that it would start to share with Facebook “certain information” from its users, such as their phone numbers and data about the frequency with which they use the messaging service.

The announcement led to the opening of ex officio investigations by Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, to examine whether these information transactions between the two companies respect the laws, until the authorities of the 29 countries of the EU raised the joint letter.

“a Lot of people say that today the privacy is lost. But this decision points out that where there are authorities that act and put and have the possibility of fining companies, we can achieve results”, discussed in dialogue with Telam, the specialist of Fundación Vía Libre, Beatriz Busaniche.

“it Is a decision very interesting,” because “the use of WhatsApp and Facebook are already in itself an attack to the privacy. This translation of data (between the two) was problematic,” he added.

With a more sceptical position, the specialist in regulation of the Internet and researcher of the Conicet Ariel Vercelli, considered that “this is one more chapter in the slow and agonizing death of the human right to the privacy of the populations by large corporations”.

“It’s a complex issue with no immediate solutions. I’m skeptical about this suspension ‘apparent’ exchange of data between Facebook, WhatsApp and his large family of companies at a global level,” he said, because “the unilateral changes of Facebook and WhatsApp on the terms and conditions of their services is a problem in itself”.

“For example, is not achieved with the mere notification to the end users of these changes. Even when the users via a new contract to return to accept the terms of service. There are very few users who can realize what is happening to their rights,” he said.

According to Vercelli, “the question becomes even more serious in relation to the enforcement authorities of the rights to privacy,” because the companies “should have notified the competent authorities prior to the setting changes. The strategic changes that involve human rights need to be discussed before and not after.”

In Argentina, the National Directorate of Personal Data Protection reviewed the privacy policies, “specifically the changes that they had and how they handled the issue of consent,” and opened an investigation.

“After the preliminary analysis that we did I decided to open a formal investigation ex-officio. I made it a requirement to Facebook and WhatsApp. Requested extension of time to respond and give ourselves a few days ago,” said to Télam the holder of the Address, Eduardo Bertoni.

According to considered Busaniche, that the country adopt a similar decision to that of the EU will depend on a “political decision”, since that what this is about is “to implement the safeguards laid down in the National Constitution. While our law is not very strict, if it is with respect to the private sector.”

To read the cable news access https://cablera.telam.com.ar/cable/418936

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