WhatsApp European users do not have to share data with Facebook | Hacker News Reader

WhatsApp European users do not have to share data with Facebook

irishtimes.com

The article doesn’t clarify if “European” refers to geography, residents of EU member states (excl. the UK), or anyone under its EMEA business unit (which is mentioned by name).

It's safe to assume it means anyone protected by the GDPR, which includes the UK.

Next time doubt is risen about the GDPR, we can point at thuis as a positieve data point.

I've seen people doubt the GDPR a lot, but when I ask why, it's always some version of "Oh EU, government meddling in business something something". Most replies even seem to think the GDPR does things it doesn't do and be against those imagined drawbacks.

I've never seen a substantive reason, so my prior for "person with GDPR complaint" now is "person who isn't familiar with the GDPR".

There's often a business driven narrative for how the GDPR holds back smaller businesses.

I believe this originates from how it's scarcely enforced, and much easier for Google or Facebook to ignore it and create 5 years of delays before a ruling - a smaller rival start-up couldn't generate those kinds of delays, as they don't employ enough people in Ireland to inform the government there of the wisdom of ensuring there isn't a ruling for some time...

Cynicism aside, GDPR (if properly adhered to, which most people don't!) presents a challenge to the business model of freemium services, and we know free/freemium is one of the best ways to create low friction growth. Complying with legislation around data use while trying to build a start-up seems to be people's concern.

Although in saying this, if you genuinely believe in privacy first, it isn't an issue. But relatively few businesses do, and most are still looking for their monetisation route, assuming ongoing eyeballs are deferred future revenue.

Yeah, this is valid. However, I'm of the opinion that "if preserving your users' privacy is inconvenient to your business, maybe your business shouldn't exist", as you say. Hence https://imgz.org/ vs https://imgur.com/ etc.

> presents a challenge to the business model of freemium services

Only if your freemium business-model is based on selling user data. The GDPR is not concerned with microtransactions or lootbox gambling - and you can even run targeted advertisements to your users, all provided you don't try to make an extra $4/yr by exporting the data you've gathered (i.e. it is your own first-party ad targeting logic, not third-party ad targeting).

I think it means the group of people that Facebook deems as appropriate to avoid causing too much trouble for itself, which is quite different from the set of people/data covered by GDPR.

If facebook puts you in the American group, then tough luck - though you can and should complain to the regulators/courts.

Nobody wants to leak their personal data with Facebook So we are going to stop using Whatsapp

The EU is a pretty cool thing.

hope the UK joins some day..

So is this for users who are physically located in the EU, users with an EU phone number, or EU citizens no matter where they are located? This is problematic for millions of people.

Facebook should just offer a pricing model and let people opt out by paying for an account.

The problem with that for fb is that the people who are willing to pay for these kinds of things make a great cohort to target. So if you exclude them, you can’t do that anymore

So because they have a better alternative for some people, this suddenly is "problematic for millions of people"? And the alternative is what? Having everyone get the Spyware version?

I would reword your comment as "this is beneficial to hundreds of millions of people".

Hmm, I only meant what I said, not what you implied.

This is exciting news for hundreds of millions of people in Europe. It is problematic because there are millions of people who check the "EU" box depending on how it is defined. Is it:

1. EU phone number 2. EU IP address 3. EU citizen 4. EU resident

That's what I meant.

That's fair. You might want to highlight the positive aspects in your comment, which right now are implied so it comes off as negative.

Yes it seems this is how people are interpreting it. By "problematic" I meant that the distinction of "European users" is problematic to me because it is unclear how the distinction is made. As an EU resident who doesn't live in the EU and doesn't use WhatsApp on an EU phone number, will they allow me to be exempt?

By "millions" I meant that there have to be millions of EU citizens and residents living, working, and traveling outside of the EU. And there have to be millions of Africans, Asians, Americans, etc living, working, and traveling in the EU. Does this cover them?

I'm not a lawyer or some super well-read privacy person... just an average Internet person who thinks Facebook already gathers too much data.

The GDPR applies to anyone handling data of EU residents, regardless of their location. It's not problematic at all.

So all this racket for nothing. Duh.

Nope. It still applies to all users not in the EU.

If those users cared about this they would’ve voted for legislation similar to the gdpr.

When did users get the chance to vote on anything like that? Not even the ones protected by GDPR voted for it.

Unfortunately very few democracies give their sovereign that much power. They prefer to keep power in the hands of the bureaucracy.

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