Information commissioner blocks Facebook’s plans to share WhatsApp data

The tech giant announced in 2016 that it planned to use data from the chat app to show more relevant adverts and provide better friend suggestions to users within Facebook.

But the UK’s information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, has now said this would violate existing data protection laws.

Facebook has shelved the plans until it becomes compliant with the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which enters into force on 25 May.

Ms Denham said: “I am pleased to state that WhatsApp has now signed an ‘undertaking’ wherein they have given a public commitment not to share personal data with Facebook until they can do so in compliance with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force in May this year.”

She added: “The GDPR strengthens the rules on what constitutes ‘consent’. It also provides a stronger emphasis on effective transparency and accessible information for the public. This will be good news for UK users of social media services. We will be monitoring changes to WhatsApp’s privacy and terms and conditions under the new legislation.”