UK watchdog: You. Facebook. Get over here now. This WhatsApp privacy update. Explain The UK's new Privacy Commissioner has fired a warning shot across Facebook's bow over its privacy policy update. In a brief statement, Elizabeth Denham warned the social media giant that the changes it was making – most significant of which was to pull personal information, including phone numbers, from users of the WhatsApp …
Barking at the burglar when he comes back for the change under the sofa,after having emptied the house this sounds like.
Elizabeth must be a Whatsapp user...
Not that I don't think Facebook doesn't deserve a damn good British spanking, trousers down (seem to have gone into General Melchett mode, sorry), but this isn't anything new Facebook wise, it's only 'cause everyone thinks Whatsapp is sort of not Facebook.
I doubt the watchdog has teeth enough for more than bark, and if it does, for more than a gnats bite.
These 'services' are too embedded in peoples lives for them to cut the string just due to a T&C change, they'd need an ad campaign from Carol Vorderman on the Beeb to tell them of alternate options or something more viral to reach them (as Whatapp did initially).
Oh no - the UK regulator which is probably world famous by now for talking loudly and occasionally slapping someones wrist and saying "don't do it again". Whatever will Facebook do now.... probably nothing and the ICO will probably go - "we aren't terribly happy about this, make the privacy policy a bit clearer and a bit simpler, and the option for people to opt-out a bit more obvious and we'll say no more about it"
They were already doing this long before they announced it. More than 6 months ago I had people appearing as "People you may know" on a fake empty Facebook account, that were on my WhatsApp contacts. Some of them I didn't even know their last name yet they appeared there. The only connection was my phone number that was connected to both.
> Some of them I didn't even know their last name yet they appeared there. The only connection was my phone number that was connected to both.
It's possible FB/WA were already 'sharing' (i.e. 'co-thieving'*) info but I think the most likely explanation is that the biggest threat to your privacy is from your closest friends - remember, people kept at arm's length are not close enough to stab you in the back. The adage of 'keep friends close, enemies closer' just does not work in the internet age unless you have sandpaper, lemon juice and a soldering iron ready for the occasion.
On the other hand if it's not your 'real' phone number you might count this as a small victory.
* TBH anything other than 'sharing' would be an improvement if it properly conveyed the presumptive arrogance of those who think the letter is more important than the spirit.
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