WhatsApp allegedly contravening international privacy laws
WhatsApp is allegedly contravening international privacy laws because of the way it forces users to grant it access to their entire address book.
Reuters reports that both the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Dutch Data Protection Authority have released reports explaining that the app violates privacy laws. They explain that the way the app takes control of the address book, commandeering all the phone numbers within—including both users and non-users of the app—is unlawful.
Jacob Kohnstamm, chairman of the Dutch Data Protection Authority, explains:
“This lack of choice contravenes (Canadian and Dutch) privacy law. Both users and non-users should have control over their personal data and users must be able to freely decide what contact details they wish to share with WhatsApp.”
The agencies claims they will continue to monitor WhatsApp, and may even begin to impose penalties upon it if it continues to use the same model. So far there’s no word from WhatsApp about the allegations.
It’s hard to decide sometimes, if something is going to exploit your information. Be skeptical with most apps.
@GodinGal, same here.
I look very suspiciously at apps that try to access things that they don’t really need access to.
Which is why my sister is always fed up of her Samsung Tablet.
The first time I wanted to try an app install on it, I screamed at the damn thing for all that it wanted access to.
Freaky!!!
Yeah I’ve never used it either.
I am in the minority, having never tried what’s app. The first and only time I tried , I got spooked by the way it asked for permissions.