At present, the app can only be used by people that are over the age of 13 years old, but the company is enforcing stricter rules ahead of the introduction of new data privacy rules in the EU next month.
WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, will ask European users to confirm they are at least 16 when they are asked to accept these new terms of service. In the coming weeks., users will be greeted with a message that informs them of this updated privacy policy.
WhatsApp, which had more than 1.5 billion users, said in a blog post that it will not be asking for any new rights to collect personal information in the agreement.
Here’s what the post said:
“We are not asking for new rights to collect personal information with this update. Our goal is simply to explain how we use and protect the limited information we have about you. There are a few things we want to highlight:
- WhatsApp in Europe: WhatsApp has established an entity within the European Union to provide your services there and to meet the new high standards of transparency for how we protect the privacy of our users.
- Data sharing: We are not currently sharing account information to improve your product and ads experience on Facebook. As we have said in the past, we want to work closer with other Facebook companies in the future and we will keep you updated as we develop our plans.
- Staying safe on WhatsApp: When we receive reports of a bad actor sending unwanted messages – like SPAM or abusive content – on either WhatsApp or Facebook, we share information and can take action including blocking them across both services. You can learn more about how to stay safe on WhatsApp by reviewing these safety tips.
WhatsApp will be introducing other changes that include enabling users to download a report which details the data it holds on them. For example, this includes the following; the make and model of the device they use, their contacts and groups, and any blocked numbers.
As you may know, WhatsApp is owned Facebook, which has a separate data policy, and Facebook are taking a different approach to its users that are aged between 13 and 15.
Facebook will ask its underage users to nominate a parent or guardian to give them permission to share information on the site.
If permission is not provided, the user will not see a fully personalised version of the social network.
