The Change in WhatsApp Privacy Policy and Evaluation of this Change within the Framework of the Personal Data Protection Law* İdil Uz Introduction On January 4, 2021, the most preferred online messaging application worldwide, WhatsApp, announced that it will change its privacy policy. In the announcement, WhatsApp stated that it will make significant changes in its procedures such as i) how user data is processed, ii) how businesses use Facebook-hosted services to store and manage WhatsApp chats, and iii) how they work with Facebook to offer integrations in Facebook Company Products. In addition, it was stated that users who do not accept this update, which includes important changes in the processing and transferring of personal data, will not be able to continue using the application as of February 8, 2021. Upon this announcement, many individuals and institutions, especially the competition law and personal data protection law authorities were alarmed, and announced that they have started an investigation on the issue. In this article, the changes announced by WhatsApp in its privacy policy and recent updates, together with the statements of WhatsApp on this matter will be addressed, and this change will be evaluated within the framework of the personal data protection legislation and the decisions of the Personal Data Protection Authority. * Article of January, 2021
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