London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

WhatsApp updates privacy policy after record €225m fine

WhatsApp updates privacy policy after record €225m fine

The messaging company says it is appealing against the fine, but has updated the privacy policy to make it more transparent to users.

WhatsApp has updated its privacy policy to be more transparent to users following a record €225m (£188m) fine and reprimand from regulators earlier this year.

The company says that the update doesn't change how it handles user data, but meets the demands of European Union privacy regulators about how transparent it is about this handling.

At its core, the ruling in September said that Meta (then Facebook) failed to adequately inform individuals of which jurisdictions WhatsApp processes users' data in and how it identifies people in their contacts books.

The new policy takes effect in the UK as well as other European jurisdictions that have adopted the European Union's General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

The decision was supported by the European Data Protection Board


What did WhatsApp do wrong?


The fine was (and remains) the highest ever issued by the Irish DPC, which is the EU's lead privacy regulator for Meta as the company's European operations are based in Dublin.

It was issued after the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) in Brussels was called in to settle a dispute about WhatsApp between several EU privacy watchdogs to ensure the law was being interpreted the same way across the whole of the bloc.

The EDPB published a technically-detailed binding decision in July explaining why WhatsApp was not compliant with the GDPR, and recommended to the Irish DPC that it impose a record fine on the company.

In a statement accompanying the update to the privacy policy, a spokesperson for WhatsApp said: "As ordered by the Irish [DPC], we have reorganised and added more detail to our Privacy Policy for people in the European Region.

"We disagree with the decision and are appealing because we believe we already provided the required information to all our users," the spokesperson added.

"This update does not change our commitment to user privacy or the way we operate our service, including how we process, use or share your data with anyone, including Meta.

"Wherever you are in the world, we protect all personal messages with end-to-end encryption, which means no one, not even WhatsApp, can read or listen to them," they added.

The new privacy policy won't require users to accept new terms and conditions, something which caused outcry earlier this year and led to many WhatsApp users downloading different messaging apps.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×