Facebook 'fesses up to WhatsApp privacy blunder in UK Facebook has “agreed to pause using data from UK WhatsApp users for advertisements or product improvement purposes” after a previously-announced probe by the Information Commissioner’s Office. UK information commissioner Elizabeth Denham writes that eight weeks ago she kicked off an investigation into WhatsApp, because “I don’ …
The UK commissioner actually gets it... Whereas we Irish readily whore out our entire country for US corporations, devaluing ourselves, our tax base, and pretty much everyone else's privacy in Europe.... All in the name of short-termism i.e. jobs for the lads... Thanks nothing-to-see-here Irish DPC... Max Schrems rules!
If she does indeed get it, and isn't just spouting the usual empty platitudes, then she needs the ability to dish out some proper punishments (i.e. permanent disqualification and jail terms for company directors instead of the usual "big fines" that just get ignored by liquidating one shell company and setting up another) and the will to pursue those in question to apply those punishments.
If that happened things would change pretty quickly - which is probably why it won't happen....
A step in that direction has been taken - it's only a small step (it's directors of dodgy call companies) but it's a step nonetheless.
Last time I mentioned it, I got a downvote - a knee-jerk reaction, I think, from the mention of El Gov and the suggestion of mission creep - but that is what we need: Mission creep to expand the range of company directors who can be fined (instead of the companies) to include those who abuse the data they have on us.
(Also surprised El Reg hasn't covered the subject AFAICS, since they have in the past had articles on the dodgy callers themselves - I'm sure I forwarded them a link to that page on gov.uk.)
Perhaps, but this shows some zero tolerance at the top of the food chain:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/08/add_it_to_the_tab_ico_fines_another_spammer_as_unpaid_bills_mount/
But the fact it took so long confirms politicians & regulators are two decades behind / out of date. So until a new generation of Pirate-eyed politicians descends, we won't get real enforcement of privacy / security violations.
However, things are speeding up. We just need some elites at the top to get hit. For instance bigger scandals than just Tesco banking & Web-Of-Trust this week, and affecting 'Royalty':
The problem is that Whatsapp has all the phone numbers/contacts on a users phone.
The problem is people posting info and photos of other people on their facebook account.
Also people blindly following signup instructions like on Linkedin to share their email account with the so called Social Media so all the data can be mined and all the addresses spammed.
The Regulators are largely ignoring it all and only take notice if there is outrage on mainstream media. They are not proactive about misuse of clear single pixels, 3rd part cookies (both should be illegal), icons with tracking scripts etc.
To cancel the WhatsApp install and tell my son's class rep to mail me instead...
My son is now using Telegraph (Threema when talking to me). I've managed to get him and his mates sold on the idea that the ability to keep secrets is cool, and from that point onwards it was all relatively easy. They still have online activities, but it's considerably less (most of it is sport arrangements).
"To cancel the WhatsApp install and tell my son's class rep to mail me instead..."
I deleted my WhatsApp account entirely the day I found out that Facebook were buying them. Had not used it since until earlier this year I stumbled on a blog written by the founders of WhatsApp which convinced me it was relatively safe to re-install it and set up a new account - since at that point at least they were taking privacy very seriously and had pledged to remain independent of their new overlords (was apparently a condition of the purchase).
However literally only a few weeks later, an article here on El Reg alerted me to the plans to feed phone numbers back to Facebook for some platform integration project, which you could not opt out of. I very quickly deleted my account again and won't be going back.
" an article here on El Reg alerted me to the plans to feed phone numbers back to Facebook for some platform integration project, which you could not opt out of. "
Facebook has been ordered not to do this in the UK. They'll ignore the order anyway.
Had not used it since until earlier this year I stumbled on a blog written by the founders of WhatsApp which convinced me it was relatively safe to re-install it and set up a new account - since at that point at least they were taking privacy very seriously and had pledged to remain independent of their new overlords (was apparently a condition of the purchase).
I don't believe that for a second. Unless you have physically seen and read the contracts I wouldn't put much stock into that (pardon the pun). They have to say these things to make sure not too many people bail - making such statements is more likely to have been part of the conditions than privacy being a mandatory item for the sale to Facebook. WhatsApp would have had nil value to Zuck if he had to respect privacy, that appears to run 100% counter to his business model..
"It’s a particular concern when company mergers mean that vast amounts of customers’ personal data become an asset to be bought and sold."
Or when an even less savoury government than our current one takes possession of all that juicy info stored up as a result of the snoopers' charter.
I was already going to drop WhatsApp when they drop support for Nokia and BlackBerry. This just moved me forward a few months.
I installed ICQ on the Nokias. The old version still works fine with an old account. The new version works like telegram, but with video calls and old accounts can be linked to a telephone number, so they also work like new accounts on the new versions.
A year or two ago I made a comment about not having used ICQ for several years on a Reg comment. Of course within 24 hours of that I'd had two conversations with two different people on it.
Telegram for the BlackBerrys.
Unlike WhatsApp (and Viber) both of these systems can be installed stand-alone on tablets and PCs. And both have an identity that can be used independently of the activating mobile number.
Also gone back to regular SIP for voice and video.
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