- After discussions with EU consumer protection authorities and the European Commission (CPC network), WhatsApp has agreed to be more transparent about changes to its terms of use.
- The company will also make it easier for users to reject updates that they do not agree with, and will clearly explain when such rejection will result in users no longer being able to use the WhatsApp services.
- WhatsApp also confirmed that users' personal data will not be passed on to third parties or other meta-companies - including Facebook - for advertising purposes.
The dialogue, which was supported by the European Commission, was led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Irish Commission for Competition and Consumer Protection.
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said: “I welcome WhatsApp's commitments to change its approach so that it complies with EU rules and actively informs users of adjustments to their contract, so that their decisions are respected, rather than when they open to ask the app again each time. Consumers have a right to understand what they are agreeing to and what this specifically means - so that they can decide whether they want to continue using the platform.”
The CPC network first wrote to WhatsApp in January 2022 following a warning from the European Consumer Association (BEUC) and eight of its member associations about alleged unfair practices by the company when updating its terms of use and privacy policy. In June 2022, the CPC network sent a second letter to WhatsApp reiterating its demand that the company clearly inform consumers about its business model and, in particular, whether it generates revenue from the commercial use of users' personal data achieved. Following discussions between the CPC network, the Commission and WhatsApp, the company confirmed that it does not share users' personal data for advertising purposes.
Overview of the commitments
If WhatsApp changes its business policy in the future, it will:
- explain what changes the company plans to make to users’ contracts and how these could affect their rights;
- provide the option to reject updated Terms of Use as clearly as the option to accept them;
- ensure that notifications containing update information can be hidden or checks for updates can be postponed, respect users' decisions and do not send notifications repeatedly.
Next Steps
The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) will actively monitor how WhatsApp implements these commitments in future updates to its business strategy and, if necessary, enforce compliance - including the possibility of imposing fines.
In addition, a recent Commission study CPC's recent sweep of dark patterns shown that many companies are using dark patterns - for example, to make unsubscribing from a service more complicated than logging in . With the support of the Commission, the CPC network will further strengthen its efforts to curb such illegal practices wherever they occur.
background
The new law on digital services stipulates, among other things, that services must have clear terms and conditions, that users must be clearly explained when their content or user accounts may be affected by certain restrictions, and it obliges these restrictions to be carefully, applied objectively and proportionately. The law will complement regulations such as the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive or the General Data Protection Regulation and ensure that regulatory loopholes that allow platforms to manipulate users are closed.
Authorities responsible for enforcing EU consumer law have come together to form the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network To enable authorities to work across borders, their activities are coordinated at EU level.
National authorities are responsible for enforcing EU consumer protection rules. Thanks to the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation, they have a common set of tools with broad powers to detect irregularities and take swift and coordinated action against non-compliant traders.
In addition, the new directive to better enforce and modernize the Union's consumer protection rules amended existing EU consumer law instruments to further increase transparency for consumers when purchasing on online marketplaces.
The cooperation covers consumer protection regulations in various areas such as unfair commercial practices, e-commerce, geo-blocking, package holidays, online sales and passenger rights.
Further information
- First letter to WhatsApp – January 2022
- Second letter to WhatsApp – June 2022
- Further information on measures to enforce consumer rights
Source: European Union
Current fact checks and articles on WhatsApp:
Cell phone in the toilet: “Hello Mom” 2.0
Kaufland: Fake competition via WhatsApp
There is no “Martinelli video” on WhatsApp
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

