Germany orders Facebook to stop combining user data from WhatsAp
The people behind "move fast and break things" are about to get disrupted themselves.
The German regulation body that monitors competition has ordered Facebook to stop some of its core activities, unless it gets more explicit user consent (via the BBC). That includes combining the data Facebook gains about users from external websites into their backend Facebook profiles. As well as combining the accounts of people on Facebook-owned companies, including WhatsApp and Instagram.
SEE ALSO:Zuckerberg is breaking promises to Instagram and WhatsApp. Be concerned.While the new orders concern user privacy, the body is actually instituting its terms because they say the way Facebook has consolidated user information across websites and social platforms has given them an unfair competitive advantage.
"The combination of data sources substantially contributed to the fact that Facebook was able to build a unique database for each individual user and thus to gain market power."
Facebook released a blog post Thursday directly refuting the order, entitled "Why We Disagree With the Bundeskartellamt" (the name of the agency). In the post, it defends its actions on both privacy and competitive grounds. And, Facebook says that the competition agency shouldn't have jurisdiction over this matter.
"The GDPR specifically empowers data protection regulators – not competition authorities – to determine whether companies are living up to their responsibilities," Facebook writes. "The Bundeskartellamt’s order threatens to undermine this, providing different rights to people based on the size of the companies they do business with."
Facebook also included a handy chart to show that it really does face a lot of competition. But the chart does make one wonder into which little box — messages? news? shopping? videos — Facebook places itself. Maybe, all of them?
Honestly, where does Facebook go?Credit: FacebookFacebook has one month to refute and petition for changes to the order. Then, according to the BBC, the government body's order will become law, and Facebook will be compelled to make changes.
At around 40 million users, according to industry estimates, Germany is far from Facebook's largest market — that falls to India, at 300 million. But as US Facebook users experienced with the GDPR, it's difficult for tech companies not to extend the privacy and data collection changes tech companies make in one market to others; why make a change that benefits consumers' privacy to a part instead of just the whole?
This also isn't the first time Facebook has been scrutinized on anti-competitive grounds. Lawmakers and consumer groups have recently been beating a drum to "break up Facebook," arguing that its acquisition of companies like Instagram and WhatsApp constitutes a monopoly.
The order about combining user data between services is also notable because Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently confirmed his company's plan to more deeply integrate the backend of Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and WhatsApp, into one. This was an initiative he emphasized on his company's Q1 earnings call. And a New York Timesreport stated that Zuckerberg himself was behind the plan. The Irish Data Protection commission is also scrutinizing this plan.
This time, Zuck might just not get his way.
Featured Video For You
Washington, D.C., attorney general is suing Facebook over Cambridge Analytica scandal
(责任编辑:产品中心)
- Game Plan
- Kvitova to face Ostapenko in Eastbourne final
- 热血男儿 蓝天追梦——记雅安几代空军战士
- N.K. unveils footage of restaurant defector family members
- Spaceship tech slashes energy usage of existing AC systems
- 微视频广东:在推进中国式现代化建设中走在前列
- The 'Saved by the Bell' diner is coming to a city near you
- Arsenal sign Fabio Vieira from Porto
- US reaffirms need for inter
- North Korea says it conducted important test to develop multiple warhead missile
- 7th grade boy nails his extra credit question by telling the best joke
- 石棉县蟹螺乡土地整理项目施工进展顺利
- Undisputed crown will prove I'm king: Inoue
-
碘是人体必需的微量元素。人体缺碘会造成不同程度的损害,导致发生碘缺乏病,特别是对孕妇、婴幼儿的危害更为突出。那么,我们该如何科学补碘呢?近日,记者采访了雨城区疾控中心相关专家。问:什么是碘缺乏病?答: ...[详细]
-
Facebook had an 'Anonymous Login' feature that it never launched
One of the most startling revelations of Facebook's ongoing Cambridge Analytica controversy is just ...[详细] -
雅安日报讯 为了有效保护与合理开发利用矿产资源,加强对采矿权人开发利用矿产资源的监督管理,根据《矿产资源法》等规定和省国土资源厅关于加强年检工作的有关要求,我市2009年度矿山企业年检将于2009年 ...[详细]
-
Get a sneak peek at January's 'Chicago Fire' and 'P.D.' crossover
Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.may be taking a break for the holidays, but the good news is we have a ...[详细] -
South Korea beefs up drills amid escalating NK provocations
A Spike missile is launched during the South Korean Marine Corps' full-scale live-fire drills on the ...[详细] -
本报讯昨20)日上午,大熊猫“福龙”回家欢迎仪式在中国保护大熊猫研究中心雅安碧峰峡基地隆重举行。国家林业局保护司副司长贾建生、中国野生动物保护协会副秘书长李青文、奥地利驻华大使赛迪科及夫人、奥地利美泉 ...[详细]
-
Instagram, like Facebook, is problematic
Say it with me: Instagram is bad, too. With Facebook in the news for all the wrong reasons this week ...[详细] -
...[详细]
-
CPUs Don't Matter For 4K Gaming... Wrong!
Something we hear a lot these days, especially when it comes to CPU benchmarking, is that CPU perfor ...[详细] -
Mark Zuckerberg's statement from Facebook is missing one major thing
After nearly a week of silence, Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg emerged from his undergr ...[详细]
- Klarna CEO reveals plan to reduce workforce by 50% and replace it with AI
- 石棉县公安局出入境办证大厅启用
- US swimmer rescued from World Championship pool after fainting
- How fans pay the price for the NBA's grueling schedule
- How much will PCB's Champions Cup mentors be paid?
- 石棉县公安局出入境办证大厅启用
- Ford moves the dealership online