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WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

reuters.com

31–40 of 423 posts

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#31

I wonder what the legal argument is behind this ruling. If one newspaper acquired another, couldn't the parent then market to the subsidiary's subscribers even if they continued to operate separately? The parent now owns everything anyway.

Note that this:

>The parent now owns everything anyway.

does not (perhaps surprising to some) allow you to break laws or agreements entered into with other parties without consequences.

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#32
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm taking baby steps towards Signal. I think 10% now of my regular "apping" is on Signal. There is still some on Telegram as well.

I've been wondering about alternatives, do you find Signal to work well? Can non-technical people install and use it without problems?

My (non-technical) friends have found Signal to be mostly easy to use. You should give it a try yourself!

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#33
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there legal precedent for "sharing" when the only entity you're providing the data to is your owner? Presumably if I bought WhatsApp, I would legally be allowed to query some database for someone's phone number if I so chose because I now own the database.

You could but you'd have to tell the users in the terms of service. If you tell them that you won't query the database and then go on and decide to do so anyways you'd get sued. With WhatsApp having a quasi monopoly on messaging it's difficult for the to change the terms of service without giving their opponents the argument that the change was forced.

Sure, that makes sense to me. But this seems more like "the company said it wouldn't allow anyone else to query the database" before I bought it. Now that I'm owner, do I still count as "anyone else?" I'd argue not.

Edit: that's from a US perspective. Sounds like France (& the EU) put additional restrictions on how personal data may be used even after it's voluntarily provided.

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#34
> European data protection authorities can only impose small fines at the moment, but a new EU privacy law entering into force next year will increase fines to up to 4 percent of a company’s global turnover.

Would it be 4% of Whatsapp's or FB's revenue?

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#35
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The argument is that WA always told us that they wouldn't share our data. This was a reason people signed up, you can't just "Oops we did it anyway" on so many people. At least not on People who have a government with their best interest in mind.

Is there legal precedent for "sharing" when the only entity you're providing the data to is your owner? Presumably if I bought WhatsApp, I would legally be allowed to query some database for someone's phone number if I so chose because I now own the database.

[deleted]

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#36
post #3

» The CNIL said it had repeatedly asked WhatsApp to provide a sample of French users’ data transferred to Facebook but the company had explained it could not do so as it is located in the United States and “it considers that it is only subject to the legislation of this country.” « That's a very interesting quote from Facebook, and explains why the GDPR has a special section explaining that it also applies to foreign…

Don’t understand the downvote you’re facing. Whatsapp is operating in France so it must comply with the ruling here. Moreover the fact that they hide from the CNIL the data they are sharing probably mean they do not comply to the regulations (which are here to protect people). Too bad the sanctions are not dissuasive enough to force compliance. Politicians are allowing this situation from too long (same with taxes av…

It will be nightmare if you have to comply to every laws of a country just because you have users in it.

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing that would stop this legally (what authority should hinder them?). Things that can be enforced are only limited by practicality. Any non-EU business worth enforcing such a law against will very likely do business inside the EU (e.g. selling ads to local companies). Any money transferred can then be froozen to enforce this law. Facebook in particular does business as an Irish company for its EU users,…

So, if you sell products or services in China, you have to comply to all China regulations, not just exports? That doesn't make any sense.

That is the way it currently works, yes. If your foreign web service is not approved by the Chinese government, it will most likely be blocked in China.

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#39
The French system for protecting personal information should be a model for the rest of the world imo.

(As an Englishman it pains me to say that)

A company can never really “own” your data there. It merely can be lent it for very specific purposes. Using it outside of those purposes is punishable by law and that permission can be revoked.

It’s very pro-citizen.

Re: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook by French authorities

#40
post #7

> “The only way to refuse the data transfer for “business intelligence” purpose is to uninstall the application,” the CNIL said in a statement. I mean, Facebook et al are a nightmare, but doesn't this statement apply to almost every app? Nevertheless, I'm sure Facebook is pretty annoyed right now, seeing as their main business goal seems to be "hoard all the data".

Well with WhatsApp being so popular in Europe it is almost impossible to uninstall it.

Once/If ethereum payment get popular message apps like toshi or status.im may get popular as well
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