Facebook Plans for WhatsApp Stumble on EU Privacy Concerns

  • Data watchdogs seen taking more action against Facebook
  • Company’s earlier response needs closer look: regulator
Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg
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Facebook Inc.’s stalled plans to leverage WhatsApp’s user data are about to hit another regulatory bump in Europe.

Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, who heads a panel of Europe’s privacy watchdogs, said Facebook will probably face “additional action” over using WhatsApp’s data for its own advertising purposes when the group of regulators meets next month. Facebook has stopped merging some of the messaging service’s data with its own, but not necessarily all of it, she said.