" ITREALMS: FG frowns over WhatsApp updated privacy policy, engages Facebook - ITREALMS

Saturday, May 22, 2021

FG frowns over WhatsApp updated privacy policy, engages Facebook - ITREALMS


The Federal Government (FG) has expressed reservations over the latest WhatsApp update on Privacy Policy, reports ITREALMS.
A press statement available to ITREALMS by the Technical Assistant on Information Technology to the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Femi Adeluyi, quoted the Minister, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as saying their attention has been brought to the updated Privacy Policy of the WhatsApp messaging application.

They underscored that the Policy specifically stated that WhatsApp will share information about the users on their platform with their parent company (Facebook), as well as other Facebook companies.  

The information includes user phone numbers, “transaction data, service-related information, information on how you interact with others (including businesses) when using our services, mobile device information, your IP address.” 

In addition, he noted that WhatsApp has indicated that users who refused to accept their revised privacy policy risk not being able to use the service at all.

Adeluyi recalled that the Federal Government released the Nigeria Data Protection Regulations (NDPR) in 2019 and is committed to upholding the data privacy of Nigerians. 

"We are also aware that the European region is exempt from the provisions of the updated Policy and it is also being challenged in a number of countries," he said.

According to him, the Honourable Minister has therefore directed the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), as the regulator of the Information Technology sector, to engage vigorously with Facebook to understand the processes, level of security, etc of the data of Nigerian users in order to ensure that Policies proposed for Nigeria strictly adhere to the provisions of NDPR.

"Nigerians can be assured that the Federal Government will give uttermost attention to the privacy of their data, in line with the NDPR and the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria," he said.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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