How will DMA-driven changes affect the privacy and security of millions of people?
Since April 11, WhatsApp introduces new terms of use, which causes unrest among many users of the green messenger, especially in Europe. The changes are due to the requirements of the European Digital Markets Act (DMA), which can seriously affect the operation of the platform.
WhatsApp has updated its terms and privacy policy, emphasizing that the changes will not affect the rules for sharing personal data with the parent company Meta or other parties.
The new conditions, among other things, reduce the officially allowed minimum age of users in Europe from 16 to 13 years, thereby potentially expanding the platform's audience. However, the "main trump card" of the update lies in something else.
The main change concerns the ability to communicate via WhatsApp with third-party services, in other words, with users from other messengers, which may affect the level of security and privacy of users.
WhatsApp warns that communication with third-party chats may not meet current security and privacy standards, as the company cannot control what exactly third parties will do with user messages. However, the company promises that all user messages will be protected with end-to-end encryption, which should reduce potential risks.
The company emphasizes that continued use of WhatsApp after April 11 means automatic acceptance of the new terms. Those who do not want to agree to these terms are invited to either read the additional account options or delete the account.
WhatsApp users should now exercise increased vigilance, especially when communicating with contacts from other services, and also beware of fraudulent campaigns and fake applications that can use these changes to deceive users.
Despite the fact that the DMA is a European act, these changes will affect all WhatsApp users in one way or another. Independent security experts recommend that users stay on WhatsApp for everyday communication and use more secure messengers, such as Signal, for those cases when security and privacy are a priority.
Also, users should carefully monitor the situation with the RCS protocol, the implementation of which in Apple devices will allow iOS and Android users to communicate directly through standard messengers. This can significantly change the current landscape of online correspondence, but also affect security, especially against the background of the fact that end-to-end encryption when combining platforms is not promised to users.
Since April 11, WhatsApp introduces new terms of use, which causes unrest among many users of the green messenger, especially in Europe. The changes are due to the requirements of the European Digital Markets Act (DMA), which can seriously affect the operation of the platform.
WhatsApp has updated its terms and privacy policy, emphasizing that the changes will not affect the rules for sharing personal data with the parent company Meta or other parties.
The new conditions, among other things, reduce the officially allowed minimum age of users in Europe from 16 to 13 years, thereby potentially expanding the platform's audience. However, the "main trump card" of the update lies in something else.
The main change concerns the ability to communicate via WhatsApp with third-party services, in other words, with users from other messengers, which may affect the level of security and privacy of users.
WhatsApp warns that communication with third-party chats may not meet current security and privacy standards, as the company cannot control what exactly third parties will do with user messages. However, the company promises that all user messages will be protected with end-to-end encryption, which should reduce potential risks.
The company emphasizes that continued use of WhatsApp after April 11 means automatic acceptance of the new terms. Those who do not want to agree to these terms are invited to either read the additional account options or delete the account.
WhatsApp users should now exercise increased vigilance, especially when communicating with contacts from other services, and also beware of fraudulent campaigns and fake applications that can use these changes to deceive users.
Despite the fact that the DMA is a European act, these changes will affect all WhatsApp users in one way or another. Independent security experts recommend that users stay on WhatsApp for everyday communication and use more secure messengers, such as Signal, for those cases when security and privacy are a priority.
Also, users should carefully monitor the situation with the RCS protocol, the implementation of which in Apple devices will allow iOS and Android users to communicate directly through standard messengers. This can significantly change the current landscape of online correspondence, but also affect security, especially against the background of the fact that end-to-end encryption when combining platforms is not promised to users.
