Introduction
On 25 August 2016, WhatsApp announced that it was changing its
terms and privacy policy to (among other things) allow
communications with businesses (e.g. potentially an airline could
inform you of delays via WhatsApp), to reflect its end-to-end
encryption and as it is going to be working more with Facebook to
improve tracking the frequency that users use services, to help
fight spam and to improve the friend suggestions and adverts that
Facebook provides. To continue using WhatsApp, users were asked to
read and agree to the terms and privacy policy within 30 days and
users could withdraw this permission within a further 30 days.
A day later, the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
announced that it would look into these changes. Subsequently, the
Article 29 Working Party (a group of representatives from the data
protection authorities of each EU member) wrote to WhatsApp with
its concerns and, in Germany, Facebook has been ordered to
