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There’s been a lot of anxiety around WhatsApp’s new privacy policy update that was implemented on May 15.

Anyone using WhatsApp has to accept their new privacy policy or face the possibility of being punished with “limited functionality”, which will eventually make the app unusable.

But it doesn’t look like South Africa is taking this one sitting down.

Our newly established Information Regulator is chatting to lawyers about WhatsApp’s new privacy policy and warned it is considering litigation, as per TechCentral.

The Information Regulator is demanding that Facebook (which owns WhatsApp) offer South African users the same terms and conditions being offered to users in the European Union.

It turns out, we haven’t been getting the same treatment as our EU counterparts:

“The Information Regulator has, after correspondence, written to WhatsApp and requested it to revise the privacy policy for South Africa to the standard used in the EU,” it said in a statement on Friday.

“The regulator has received no agreement from WhatsApp. Under the circumstances, the regulator is briefing attorneys to prepare an opinion on the way forward in terms of litigation.”

The privacy regime here (under the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia)) has been created in the image of that found in the EU, and so the regulators “believe that WhatsApp should adopt the EU policy in South Africa, and other countries in the global south that have similar regimes”.

Despite there being two different privacy policies for users living in Europe or outside Europe, the regulators are remaining steadfast on their demands.

The Information Regulator chair, Pansy Tlakula, added:

“We are obligated as the regulator to ensure the protection of personal information of all South African citizens and monitor compliance with Popia by responsible parties.

We therefore will take this matter further and seek legal opinions and advocate for collaborated efforts.”

The regulators have also asked the portfolio committee on Justice & Correctional Services to request Facebook South Africa and WhatsApp to appear in parliament to answer questions on the matter.

A spokesman for Facebook commented on Friday:

[The recent update] “does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook and does not impact the privacy of your messages with friends or family, wherever they are in the world”.

“WhatsApp does not share your contacts with Facebook and that policy applies to users everywhere, including in South Africa.

We remain fully committed to delivering secure and private communications for everyone.”

Let’s see where this goes, then.

[source:techcentral]