France data privacy watchdog; CNIL has given a 1-month ultimatum to WhatsApp over Facebook data transfers without proper users consent. It ordered WhatsApp to stop sharing data with Facebook without proper permissions, and if WhatsApp fails to follow the order, the watchdog said that it could sanction the company.
CNIL further said that WhatsApp did not have any legal terms to share user data with Facebook and has strictly violated the rules. This order comes a year after European Union privacy authorities expressing severe concerns about WhatsApp sharing the data with Facebook which weren’t included in terms and privacy policy when a user signed up for the service.
The Watchdog has said that the WhatsApp does not have users consent to share phone numbers with Facebook for “business intelligence” purposes. Merging of WhatsApp data with Facebook was the first significant step since the acquisition which provoked CNIL to consistently and repeatedly warn the firm to which WhatsApp couldn’t provide a proper explanation. Failing to comply with the orders of CNIL would lead to hefty fines with EU privacy law entering into force next year.