German firm Continental has prohibited the use of WhatsApp and Snapchat on its work phones over privacy concerns.
Continental AG, a leading German auto manufacturer, released a statement on Tuesday clarifying their decision to ban WhatsApp and Snapchat: “Continental is prohibiting its employees from using social media apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat in its global company network, effective immediately.” The move is expected to affect 36,000 staff members.
The statement goes on to accuse the popular app of passing the burden of data protection on to the its users.
The company’s CEO, Elmar Degenhart, said “We think it is unacceptable to transfer to users the responsibility of complying with data protection laws.”
Many instant messaging and social media apps such as WhatsApp often ask for, or demand, access to the user’s full contact list. In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and the introduction of the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation, many are becoming more concerned about the security of their data online.
Continental argues that by demanding access to a user’s contacts, WhatsApp is making the user responsible to let every one of their contacts know that their data is being shared.
The company confirmed that they would reverse their decision once these apps “change the basic settings to ensure that their apps comply with data-protection regulations by default.”
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