Draft Document: WhatsApp and Skype May Come Under New EU Security Rules

• By: Staff Editor
• Date: December 12, 2016
• Source: http://www.reuters.com/

Draft Document: WhatsApp and Skype May Come Under New EU Security Rules

Online communication giants WhatsApp and Skype may have to comply with stricter EU regulations by 2018. Telecom operators have long since complied with these regulations, and have often brought up the debate of the far more lightly regulated Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook services.

With similar services up on offer, companies that offer calls and messages through the internet, known as Over-The-Top (OTT), such as Facebook’s Whatsapp and Microsoft's Skype will also be expected to comply with EU regulations on handling customer data under its new security laws due soon.

According to the draft, which may see further revisions, web services will have to:

• Guarantee confidentiality of communications
• Obtain users' consent to process their location data
• Simplify the provisions for use of cookies

In a bid to level the playing field between telecom services and other similar tech services, which have thus far enjoyed lighter data regulations, the new regulations will provide telecom service providers the option to use customer data with their consent.

The new regulations are slated to be disclosed in January, 2017, coming into force by 2018.

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