Geographical Variations in Data Collection and Sharing
Posted: Wed May 21, 2025 4:49 am
The highly publicized 2021 privacy policy update led to a clearer differentiation in WhatsApp's data practices based on geographical regulations, primarily due to the European Union's GDPR.
European Economic Area (EEA) and UK: Due to GDPR and similar UK data protection laws, WhatsApp has a separate privacy policy for users in these regions. Critically, this policy explicitly states that WhatsApp does not ivory coast phone number list share user data with Meta for the purpose of personalizing ads on other Meta products (Facebook, Instagram), nor for enabling Facebook to suggest friends, even if accounts are linked via Accounts Center. Data sharing for operational purposes (infrastructure, security, fighting spam) still occurs, but advertising-related sharing is restricted.
Rest of the World: For users outside the EEA and UK, data sharing with Meta for personalization, including ads on other Meta products, is permissible if users opt into Accounts Center and related features.
This differential treatment underscores the significant impact of stringent data privacy regulations on the practices of global tech companies.
European Economic Area (EEA) and UK: Due to GDPR and similar UK data protection laws, WhatsApp has a separate privacy policy for users in these regions. Critically, this policy explicitly states that WhatsApp does not ivory coast phone number list share user data with Meta for the purpose of personalizing ads on other Meta products (Facebook, Instagram), nor for enabling Facebook to suggest friends, even if accounts are linked via Accounts Center. Data sharing for operational purposes (infrastructure, security, fighting spam) still occurs, but advertising-related sharing is restricted.
Rest of the World: For users outside the EEA and UK, data sharing with Meta for personalization, including ads on other Meta products, is permissible if users opt into Accounts Center and related features.
This differential treatment underscores the significant impact of stringent data privacy regulations on the practices of global tech companies.