In compliance with the Digital Services Law (LSD)approved by the European Commission in December 2020, the technology giant Goal (formerly Facebook), owned by Mark Zuckerberg, will update, like other large technology companies such as Alphabet (parent of Google), Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and ByteDance (owner of TikTok), the terms of service and privacy policies of WhatsApp usersthe most used instant messaging application in Spain.
The new regulations, which regulate social networks and online platforms, will provide a safer digital space that protects the fundamental rights of all users in the European Union who use digital services, “preventing the dangerous misinformation become viral and preventing them from being offered products that are not safe in online markets”, as stated by the President of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen.
WhatsApp changes
The green icon app plans to change terms of service and privacy policies starting next April 11. The new changes must be accepted by the millions of users in the community region, including Spaniards, if they want to continue using this interchangeable messaging channel. The most important modification is that the app will be interoperablethat is European citizens who have WhatsApp will be able to communicate with other users through other messaging platforms such as iMessage or Telegram, without them having a Meta account.
In addition to this novelty, with which Brussels intends to end the monopoly, we must add other measures:
- It reduces the minimum age for using WhatsApp from 16 to 13 years old.
- They modify the international data transfer mechanisms to be able to rely on the Data Privacy Framework between the European Union and the United States.
- The end to end encryption in messages and personal calls. This means that no one will be able to read or listen to them, not even WhatsApp.
- The option to receive messages from other applications will include more details.
- Information about WhatsApp features will be updated, such as how to report content, appeal decisions, and how it is recommended.
A new padlock-shaped icon
WhatsApp developers, through this icon that will be displayed in the top bar of the application, implement a function to indicate that chats are end-to-end encrypted and, in this way, the application will ensure that the messages remain inaccessible.
WhatsApp 'States' and the new text formats
Images or videos that are shared through WhatsApp 'Statuses' They can see each other without notifying the other person. Users will access a 'News' section where they will see the name, the profile photo and the audiovisual content published in small format and, in this way, they will get an idea about the publication that their contacts have shared before seeing the content in full screen.
Likewise, they will be added new text formats to organize messages and improve communication in chats. These new formats are unnumbered lists, numbered lists, code blocks, and in-text citations which, like those already existing, such as bold, italics, monospace and strikethrough, will require special characters in order to be carried out.