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Messenger API Updates for Europe

developers.facebook.com

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Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#71
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, everything I’ve read is internal material. The lawyers spoke to the EU and were told this needs to happen right away. So it is happening.

> ...lawyers spoke to the EU and were told this needs to happen right away Sorry but this is not how EU works and it doesn't make any sense at all. You can't "speak with the EU", in the same way you can't "speak with the United States of America". You can speak with a data regulator in a specific country if you wish so. But each one of them is also part of the European Data Protection Board, which ensures the consist…

Ok dude. You know better.

I was using short hand when I said “spoke with the EU”. You chose to misinterpret that.

All I know is that Facebook needs to comply with this by December 21st. This was something we became aware of a few months ago.

If you think that’s impossible, fine by me.

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#72
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ...lawyers spoke to the EU and were told this needs to happen right away Sorry but this is not how EU works and it doesn't make any sense at all. You can't "speak with the EU", in the same way you can't "speak with the United States of America". You can speak with a data regulator in a specific country if you wish so. But each one of them is also part of the European Data Protection Board, which ensures the consist…

Ok dude. You know better. I was using short hand when I said “spoke with the EU”. You chose to misinterpret that. All I know is that Facebook needs to comply with this by December 21st. This was something we became aware of a few months ago. If you think that’s impossible, fine by me.

You should've said December 21st straight away! I now have found what you're talking about.

On December 21st, a 2018 European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) directive goes live on 21st of December 2020.

It's a directive to consolidate and reform the framework for the regulation of electronic communications services and networks in the EEA.

> Under the EECC, the scope of electronic communication services will be expanded to include over-the-top/online communication services. Therefore, providers of VoIP services and other online communication apps (video, chat, messaging) will be subject to telecoms regulation and by extension the ePrivacy Directive.

> For the foreseeable future, those caught by the provisions of the ePD will continue to need to comply, taking into account the interplay with the ever-evolving guidance and case law on the GDPR (e.g. on consent, notice, etc.), which will often apply in the context of the application of the ePD. The ePD rules have not been kept up to date with the latest technological developments and are also not well aligned to the enhanced protections of the GDPR.

I was wrong, the changes are influenced by ePD, but indirectly because of the broadening definition of electronic communication services. Finally we're there. I'm surprised no one else commented about this earlier and it took so much time to understand why this is happening.

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#73
post #8

So instead of making their system less-privacy-invasive (which I have seen no indication should be impossible wrt the APIs mentioned here), they just shut down services where this is regulated. Not surprised, but there's no way to spin this in a way that doesn't make Facebook look shady and bad. So much for "working with regulators".

It does say: "We are currently working to restore these features and will continue to update this document and the changelog section with the details as they are available." Doesn't this suggest that they aren't being shut-down?

It's PR-speak to make the regulators look like the bad guys who took something from you that always-benevolent FB is working on your behalf to restore.

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To honest, I think this is probably the begining of the end for Facebook. I foresee that they'll be forced to reduce services in Europe repeatedly. It'll be interesting to see what takes its place.

It might be the bigginning of the end of Facebook dot com, but Facebook as a company I feel will be here for a while. Facebook used to just be Facebook dot com but they've since become almost a tech conglomerate. The big tech firms are basically just holding companies for all the stuff they've acquired over the years.

Yea, once you're that size even if you're struggling you're around for decades.

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#75

We need a decent gdpr compliant business dependable rich messaging platform for europe. it is ridiculous, now the rest of the world has wechat, messenger, kakao and line, but in europe there is nothing.

I thought both Teams and Google Chat claim GDPR compliance?

Google chat is not business dependable because google shuts down and replaces its messaging product every 4 years or so. Teams is not a platform in the sense that you could not eg. start selling pizza to random endusers with a pizza bot. I mean something that can be a european wechat revolution.

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#76
post #19

This is desperately short on explanation? The very high granularity suggests that some features are more privacy-invasive than others, but not why that is. (Also, listing the UK under EEA is .. complicated and subject to change in the next few weeks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Membership_of_the_United_Kingd... )

The UK is subject to EU law and is part of the EEA today; they have to go on what's true now, not what may be true in a few weeks. In any case the UK will inherit most EU data protection rules; they'll presumably change the wording in January, but the rules won't change.

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#77
post #60

Great news, I feel much safer now. Now I'm waiting for EU to completely ban computers, this way I will never be attacked by anyone online. But seriously, if anyone had doubts what GDPR will achieve, I think this person is pretty naive. GDPR is not a progression, but a regression, and it will seriously hit (already does) online businesses in the long run. Same thing with cookie warnings. No normal person will read ton…

Cookies that are required for the site's functionality (like login, shopping cart, etc) are allowed without even an opt-in dialog

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#78
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t see FB shutting down a service like Watsapp in Europe in the next decade at least, first of all because countless European politicians use it, to say nothing of the hundreds of millions of Europeans who use it regularly. There’s nothing else comparable that can take its place.

Is WhatsApps a money generator for Facebook? I would have thought it was just a service they bought to stop someone else buying it.

They're trying to monetize WhatsApp through their Business API. They have a directory of Business Service Providers that can provide API access and integration services. Their partnership model is very convoluted and flawed, though, and it's hurting adoption.

https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/

Re: Messenger API Updates for Europe

#79

Seems like a huge hit to the myriad business-to-consumer chat startups that sell premium messenger experiences to brands for customer service etc. It’s also a hit to any business who has invested in chat as a service/sales channel, assuming that all chat APIs will be subject to the same limitations. These APIs that are being limited have very little to do with user privacy and mostly impact usability. For example it…

Unintended by the legislators, maybe, but I'd wager this punitive reaction by Facebook is very intentional. Many EU businesses are going to have their commerce and customer service flows break 9 days before Christmas. It will be interesting to see how much backlash from these businesses is leveled at the EU regulators and how much is directed toward getting off Facebook's platform.
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