As of: April 6, 2024, 10:59 a.m
By: Michelle Brey, Lennart Schwenck
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There is an age restriction for WhatsApp users. This is now adjusted with a specific goal in mind. The innovation comes into force on April 11th.
Munich – Changes to WhatsApp are not uncommon. The instant messenger changes, for example, with new designs or new functions. Now it applies to the terms of use and privacy policy for users in the European region. These changes will take effect from April 11, 2024. They are a response to two new EU regulations: the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. The aim of the changes: The rules about what is allowed and what is not allowed on WhatsApp should become more transparent. One of the innovations concerns the standardization of the age of the users.
Change to WhatsApp – Messenger service lowers minimum age
2024 seems to be the year of changes for WhatsApp - some of the messenger's new functions have already been made public in advance. From April 11th there will also be a departure from the previous minimum age for using the app in the EU region. The messenger service informs on its official website that the age will be reduced from 16 to 13 years. The reason seems simple. The company further writes: “This update ensures a uniform minimum age for WhatsApp worldwide.”
WhatsApp also warns about the minimum age on an information page: “Accounts that are created with incorrect information violate our terms of use.”
WhatsApp is changing its data protection guidelines due to new EU guidelines © Imago Images
Further changes at a glance - but one function remains
On its website, WhatsApp announces which two new changes will also occur:
Details are to be added on a new EU regulation that will allow users to send messages from WhatsApp to supported third-party apps.
In addition, changes are to be made to the international data transfer mechanisms. In the future, WhatsApp for users in the European region will be based on the EU-USA data protection framework of the European Commission.
Despite these changes to minimum age etc., one thing remains the same: personal messages and calls on WhatsApp continue to be end-to-end encrypted. This means that neither WhatsApp nor other third parties are able to read or listen to them.
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Users who wish to continue using WhatsApp after April 11, 2024 must accept these Terms of Service updates. A detailed overview of the account options and the new guidelines can be found in the platform's terms of use.
Recently, a massive disruption on WhatsApp caused a stir. Tens of thousands of people were briefly unable to use Messenger. (
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