As of: March 26, 2024, 7:20 p.m
By: Julia Hanigk
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WhatsApp introduces new terms of service and privacy policy.
Anyone who does not agree risks having their account blocked.
Munich – It could soon happen that users will be kicked out of the WhatsApp app if they do not agree to a policy.
Due to new EU regulations, the messenger service is introducing new terms of use and data protection guidelines in Europe, without which the app will no longer work.
Users must agree to the changes by April 11 to avoid having their account suspended.
EU regulation leads to new data protection guidelines for WhatsApp
The introduction of these new guidelines follows a recent EU regulation, the Digital Markets Act, which came into force on March 7th.
This regulation aims to strengthen competition in the digital services industry and give smaller providers more market opportunities.
As a result, WhatsApp had already rolled out an update that allows users of other messaging services to send messages to WhatsApp accounts and vice versa.
However, communication between different apps has already raised concerns among data protection experts about possible risks.
The regulations that must now be accepted on WhatsApp are intended to explain to users in detail which technical and data protection principles apply on the platform.
Particularly important are the details of how messages are passed on to third-party apps.
Despite all the changes, the Meta group, to which WhatsApp belongs, emphasizes that end-to-end encryption remains intact for personal messages and calls.
In this way, the safety of users should continue to be guaranteed.
Users must agree to WhatsApp's new regulations by April 11th.
(Symbolic image) © Zacharie Scheurer/dpa/picture alliance
WhatsApp minimum age will be lowered with an update
Another innovation that WhatsApp is introducing with the update concerns the minimum age for use.
Because currently the age restriction differs between EU and non-EU countries.
While in this country young people were only allowed to use the service from the age of 16, in the rest of the world it was possible to start using it from the age of 13.
The messenger is now adjusting this.
The age will be adjusted to 13 years worldwide.
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WhatsApp recently introduced another innovation that is intended to make it easier to get in touch with new people.
WhatsApp has introduced a QR code that can be used to find and contact the user directly.
The search for individual messages has also been improved.
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