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ARTICLE · 09 SEPTEMBER 2021

Turkish Personal Data Protection Board Has Imposed Its Largest Ever Fine On WhatsApp

Gen Temizer Erdogan Girgin Attorney Partnership
Gen Temizer Erdogan Girgin Attorney Partnership
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A day after the Irish Data Protection Commission (on 2 September 2021) imposed a record fine of EUR 225 million against the Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp, the Turkish Personal Data Protection Board (the "Board")...

TurkeyPrivacy
Gen Temizer
Gen Temizer
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September 2021 – A day after the Irish Data Protection Commission (on 2 September 2021) imposed a record fine of EUR 225 million against the Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp, the Turkish Personal Data Protection Board (the "Board") announced on 3 September 2021 that it had imposed an administrative fine of TRL 1,950,000 (approximately EUR 198,000) on the company.

In early 2021 the Board initiated an ex officio investigation after WhatsApp updated its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to include the explicit consent of users regarding the processing of personal data and the transfer of personal data abroad. WhatsApp informed its users that without providing explicit consent, they would not be able to use the application and that their accounts would be deleted.

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