Categories
Close
Menu
Menu
Close
Search
Search

Featured Articles

US Federal Trade Commission reminds Facebook of its privacy obligations as WhatsApp acquisition progresses
News

US Federal Trade Commission reminds Facebook of its privacy obligations as WhatsApp acquisition progresses

Mark

Share:

Print

Rate article:

No rating
Rate this article:
No rating

Facebook and WhatsApp have received a letter from the US Federal Trade Commission reminding them about user privacy.

In February, Facebook announced that it was planning to acquire messaging service WhatsApp in a deal worth $16 billion (£9.6 billion).

Image

Both companies have previously said that nothing will change for customers, with WhatsApp continuing to operate as a separate business.

However, Jessica Rich - director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection - has highlighted the importance of this commitment in a letter to the two companies.

She wrote “We want to make clear that, regardless of the acquisition, WhatsApp must continue to honor these promises to consumers. Further, if the acquisition is completed and WhatsApp fails to honor these promises, both companies could be in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and, potentially, the FTC’s order against Facebook.”

An FTC complaint against Facebook in 2011 was settled after Facebook agreed a number of privacy-related commitments.

[FTC letter (pdf)]

Comments

Collapse Expand Comments (0)
You don't have permission to post comments.

Opinion Articles

ExclusiveLast week at The Fonecast: 12th November 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

We’re moving into that time of year where product announcements are replaced by promotional campaigns and sales figures. Apple revealed it had sold three million assorted iPad tablets in just three days, while Samsung said its Galaxy SIII smartphone had sold more than 30 million units since its launch in May.

ExclusiveApple, Google Maps run afoul of South Korea

VOA News writes:

Some map applications are stirring up trouble, virtually erasing South Korea's claims to an island chain also claimed by Japan.

​​Both Apple and Google have removed the Korean name for the islands from their English and Japanese map services.

ExclusiveLast week at The Fonecast: 29th October 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

In many ways it’s been a week of big news without big surprises. Apple announced the much-rumoured iPad mini, which is just like an iPad but smaller. It also introduced a fourth-generation update to its larger iPad, promising more speed and more 4G connectivity.

RSS
First2930313234363738Last

Recent Podcasts

ExclusivePodcast from Mobile World Congress 2015

Mark Bridge learns about the mobile technology trends at Mobile World Congress 2015 by chatting to James Rosewell of 51Degrees, Dr Kevin Curran from the IEEE and Chris Millington of Doro.

They talk about wearable devices, wireless charging, mobile operating systems and much more... including some of their favourite products from the exhibition.

ExclusiveLooking back at February: from security scares to multiple MVNOs

We're taking a look back at the biggest mobile industry news stories from February 2015, including allegations that the UK's security service tried to breach SIM card security by hacking into one of the world's biggest SIM producers.

We also talk about the planned BT and EE merger, the creation of two new UK virtual networks, some acquisitions in the mobile payment arena and a new Ubuntu smartphone.

ExclusiveA month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

RSS
12345678910Last

Follow thefonecast.com

Archive Calendar

«May 2026»
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
27282930123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
1234567

Archive