Facebook Ireland has agreed not to process data from any WhatsApp users in the EU after the Irish Data Protection Commissioner began seeking information about a controversial transfer deal with the messaging service. The one billion users of WhatsApp were given 30 days in August to decide if they wished to have information shared with Facebook, which would then have been used for targeting advertisements and other commercial activities. The change was the first in WhatsApp’s privacy agreement since it was bought by Facebook for €17 billion in 2014. It prompted inquiries by the Irish commissioner, German privacy regulator, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and regulators in other EU states. Facebook has its European headquarters in Dublin and is therefore regulated by the DPC.

Source: The Times November 10, 2016 00:06 UTC