FTC Warns Facebook, WhatsApp to Honor Privacy Promises

The Federal Trade Commission has a warning for Facebook and WhatsApp: honor your consumer privacy obligations.

In a letter to the companies Thursday, FTC Consumer Protection Bureau Director Jessica Rich said the companies must not go back on privacy promises they made to customers following news of their $16 billion merger. After announcing the acquisition, the companies said they would not change WhatsApp policies that limit the collection and sharing of users' personal information with third parties - rules that "exceed the protections currently promised to Facebook users," Rich said.

"We want to make clear that, regardless of the acquisition, WhatsApp must continue to honor these promises to consumers," Rich continued. "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."

In 2011, Facebook settled FTC charges that it deceived customers "by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public." Under the terms of the settlement, Facebook must get consumers' consent before making any changes that override their privacy settings.

The letter notes that the companies will need to get affirmative consent before making any major changes to how they use data collected from WhatsApp subscribers. Rich also warned Facebook and WhatsApp against misrepresenting the extent to which they keep user data secure and private. She also recommended that consumers be offered the chance to opt out of any new data-collection practices the companies enact.

"Hundreds of millions of users have entrusted their personal information to WhatsApp," Rich wrote. "The FTC staff will continue to monitor the companies' practices to ensure that Facebook and WhatsApp honor the promises they have made to those users."

Last month, the Electronic Privacy and Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) filed a complaint with the FTC that asked the agency to investigate Facebook's pending acquisition of WhatsApp.

For more, check out What Is WhatsApp? An Explainer.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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