Bloomberg Businessweek reports on the Facebook-WhatsApp deal and whether it will trigger any privacy investigations from data protection authorities (DPAs) across the EU. Article 29 Working Party Chairman Jacob Kohnstamm said the acquisition may get the interest of DPAs. He said that DPAs “could, having heard about the merger, decide to do research into the product as well” and subsequently all “28 data protection regulators could open an investigation.” The main concern, he said, is the collection of data from users’ mobile address books when they download the application. Meanwhile, Finland-based Nokia is facing criticism after it was revealed that its Lumia line of Windows Phones transmitted personal data—including that of some senior members of Finland’s government—to Microsoft servers in the U.S.
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