Facebook 'pauses' WhatsApp data sharing after ICO intervention
Summary: Facebook has agreed to "pause" its plan to use data from UK users of messages service - WhatsApp for advertising and product improvement purposes across the rest of its business, after an intervention from the UK information Commissioner. Although it will continue to share information for spam fighting. Elizabeth Benham wrote to Facebook expressing her concerns over a new plan to share more data between the social network and WhatsApp. In August, WhatsApp said that they wanted to "explore ways for users to "communicate with business that matter to you, whilst still giving you an experience without third-party manner ads and spam" The plans involved using the phone numbers associated with a WhatsApp account to aid Facebook in targeting adverts on the user's main Facebook profile. Facebook has agreed to pause the use of its data for advertising and product improvement purposes, although it will continue to share information for spam fighting. The company says it is holding back from promising any permanent changes for now, partly because of the pressure it faces over data sharing. Elizabeth Benham, expressed her view in this and said: "“I don’t think users have been given enough information about what Facebook plans to do with their information, and I don’t think WhatsApp has got valid consent from users to share the information,” she wrote, adding she believes users should be given ongoing control over how their information is used, “not just a 30-day window”
[] Information Commissioner’s Office raised concerns over social network’s collection of messaging app’s data
[] The company says it is holding back from promising any permanent changes for now, partly because of the pressure it faces over data sharing.
[] Facebook says it wants to avoid inappropriately agreeing specific resolutions with any one particular regulator. But it denies that it didn’t give enough information to users avoid how their data would be used.
Summary: Privacy is very important to users of the social network and audiences who use WhatsApp. By Facebook wanting to use data from users from Whatsapp for advertising and product improvement purposes, Facebook users haven't not been told about us or they haven't been given enough information to them about what their plans are, and if Whatsapp do agree to go on this plan at a later date, they have been given permission from their users, and if not, they they would have a lot to answer from, from their customers but also when they lose their sales. Facebook is powerful, but it is through the amount of users are on their site, if users are not being told about the changes or plans that they are considering, than for them also it can cause problem. From this article, it shows that companies merge vast amount of customers personal data become an asset to be bought and sold - there's a a lot of danger that consumers will have little control as datasets are matched and intrusive details revealed.
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