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

reuters.com

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

#61

Post by beberlei »

mikeokner wrote: post #15
teekert wrote: 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.

Per European Privacy Law, you only own the data for the specific use-cases that you asked it for in your terms of use / privacy policy. I agreed to that when signing up. If you change that in the future, you have to ask for my consent again. If I deny, then you cannot use my data for your new use-case.

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

#62

Post by cJ0th »

teekert wrote: post #13
soziawa wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

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.

My advice would be Xmpp with OMEMO encryption. On mobile, you can get the Conversations App for Android via Fdroid (no google play!), for the iPhone there is Chatsecure and on the Desktop you can use Gajim.

The advantage over Signal would be that 1.) you don't have to share your telephone number and 2.) you don't rely on a single service provider/accounts are decentralized (there are various services for free and paid accounts and you could also host your own server)

e: Dear stranger, I'd be very interested in an explanation for your downvote. thanks!

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

#63

Post by samastur »

laurentoget wrote: post #29
laurentoget wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not if this data is data about persons according to french law. You need consent from those persons to use the data for any purpose beyond the original purpose you mentioned when you collected the data. sadly this is only in the french wikipedia https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loi_informatique_et_libert%C3%...

There is a european directive which addresses the same problems, though i do believe the french law is more explicit, and the french government has been enforcing it.

Correct. It is very similar in Slovenia and it is enforced.

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

#64

Post by teekert »

Brakenshire wrote: post #26
teekert wrote: 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?

Indeed, Signal is nice, a bit lagging in features with respect to Telegram for example, and there are no Group admins which can lead to annoying situations (someone gets a new number, you keep getting error messages until the owner removes himself.) But it's minimal, fast and you have end-to-end encryption with no one storing you phone book (afaik). Self erasing messages can also be handy. I must admit I use that mainly to communicate to myself... for password or wallet public keys etc (desktop app to mobile and vice versa).

I have also noticed that even phone calls to the other side of the world are crystal clear, really nice.

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

#65

Post by hanbura »

marksomnian wrote: post #14
kuschku wrote: 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…

> the GDPR has a special section explaining that it also applies to foreign companies that process data of EU citizen Is such a clause enforceable and/or valid? How could the EU punish a non-EU business for violating this? I guess they could block/get an injunction against them within the EU, but that seems like the sort of thing that would get challenged legally.

Why shouldn't it be valid? As a European accessing US servers I also have to comply to US anti-hacking laws. The only limit is enforceability.

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

#67

Post by dguest »

hartator wrote: post #36
titanix2 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

What's the alternative? You comply with the laws in your country of choice?

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

#68

Post by on_and_off »

Brakenshire wrote: post #26
teekert wrote: 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?

I have been pushing people towards Telegram (I have never tried Signal).

It works a lot like WhatsApp so I don't think anybody has been confused by it.

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

#70

Post by paimpozhil »

mancerayder wrote: post #52
teekert wrote: 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 love Signal but the reason why WhatsApp is so appealing is that there's a desktop client. I hate having to rely on my phone for texting people.

Telegram is even better, has a nice desktop client which doesn't really depend on the mobile .

Whatsapp's web client is just an UI to the mobile app meaning you also need to have phone connected to internet always for it to work.

Telegram is much more responsive compared to the Whatsapp.

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