London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 31, 2026

German government ordered WhatsApp to prevent Facebook from collecting personal data. Facebook ignored it, as Germany can do nothing about it but make noise

German government ordered WhatsApp to prevent Facebook from collecting personal data. Facebook ignored it, as Germany can do nothing about it but make noise

The Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and “Freedom” of Information, or HmbBfDI, said Tuesday that it has issued an injunction that prevents Facebook from processing personal data from WhatsApp. And that’s the end of the story. Facebook obviously ignored the funny order as they are above the German government and not subject to the rules of their game.

Germany is a small province somewhere inside small Europe with only 83 million people. Facebook is the largest kingdom in the world with 2.7 billion obedient users from all around the globe.

German citizens will have to obey Facebook's instructions, as their small-province German government regulations are below and not in keeping with the rules of Facebook’s global kingdom.

German privacy watchdog HmbBfDI is now using an emergency GDPR procedure to prevent Facebook from enforcing its terms in Germany for the next three months. Under the GDPR, “data cannot simply be shared without valid reasons”.

Does making money from this data in exchange for using services for no money-payment is not a valid reason?

Being the owner of WhatsApp is not a valid reason?

Forcing a private company to give all their services for free, against the price tag their users fully agreed to pay before  subscribing to the service sounds to me more 1939 rather than 2021...

The only thing local government can do against global government such as Facebook is to block the service at their country’s backbone just as they do with Avery other illegal website. But they will not do it because they afraid from their citizens, as every healthy democracy should be.


Comments

Sid 5 year ago
Grow a pair and stop using Whatsapp and facebook. Signal and Telegram work great

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Science Museum Ends Long-Running BP Sponsorship
Scottish Homeowners Prepare Valuation Challenges Over Proposed Mansion Tax
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Undercover Police in Spycops Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Avanti West Coast Drivers Agree 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Action
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
UK Government Retreats From Plan to Unfreeze Personal Income Tax Threshold
Northern Ireland Leaders Press UK Government for Sustainable Funding Settlement
UK Health Agency Warns Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Could Worsen
NHS Warns Autism and ADHD Assessment Costs Have Become Unsustainable
UK Rejects Moratorium on AI Data Centres Despite Energy and Water Concerns
Thames Water Creditors Offer Government Golden Share in £10 Billion Rescue Plan
UK Warns Defence Executives of Russian Assassination and Sabotage Threats
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% Amid Inflation Risks
UK Restricts Early Prison Release for Serious Offenders as Jails Near Capacity
Genetic Study Finds Medieval Britain’s ‘Conquest Man’ Had Scandinavian Origins
Kemi Badenoch Plans Conservative Frontbench Reshuffle After Cleverly Departure
Nissan Sunderland Plant Highlighted as Key Economic Anchor for North East England
UK Arts Report Finds Women Face Persistent Barriers to Career Progression
Private Equity Consolidation of UK Veterinary Practices Raises Consumer Cost Concerns
South West Water Ranked Worst in England for Environmental Performance
British Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Threat
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Officers in Undercover Policing Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Conservative Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.7% as Growth Stalls and Inflation Eases
UK Government Announces Electricity VAT Cut and £2 Bus Fare Cap
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Helpline Waits
Labour Debates Caps on Political Donations Ahead of Future Elections
England Accelerates Housing and Planning Reforms Amid Affordability Crisis
NHS Expands Walk-In Community Health Centers to 40 Locations
UK Regulators Expect Meta to Apply Stronger Child Safety Standards Globally
UK Groups Demand Faster Transport Decarbonization After Extreme Summer Weather
UK Launches 10,000 Work Experience Placements as Youth Unemployment Concerns Rise
UK Government Faces Difficult Autumn Budget Choices Over Defense, Spending and Taxes
UK Government Rejects Calls to Slow AI Data Center Expansion
IMF Raises UK Growth Forecast to 1% Despite Global Supply Chain Risks
×