Messaging apps

The Turkish Competition Authority has ordered Facebook to pay a total fine of 346 million Turkish Liras ($6.5 million) for breaching competition rules.

The fine announced yesterday came as the result of an investigation regarding the obligation of WhatsApp users to share their data with other Meta Inc. Companies.

WhatsApp has informed Turkey that its controversial new data-sharing rules will not come into effect in the country, the Turkish competition watchdog said on May 21.

The Competition Authority said it had been informed by WhatsApp that it would not implement a messaging app update in Turkey allowing it and owner Facebook Inc to collect certain user data.

According to Sensor tower WhatsApp application saw a 43% drop in downloads compared to last year, while over the same period its direct rivals such as Signal or Telegram jumped to 1,200% (yes 1.200%).

Much of that bump may be due to the Facebook scandals, the final formalization of the integration between the capital "F" and WhatsApp.

Macedonian authorities on Thursday threatened to block the messaging app Telegram over the activities of a group of more than 7,000 users who have been sharing and exchanging explicit pictures and videos of girls - some of whom are underage.

Some users even wrote the names and locations of the girls. Others have shared photoshopped images taken from their Instagram profiles.

Turkish communication and messaging app, BiP jumped to the top of the users' list in Bangladesh in the wake of concerns about privacy protection on WhatsApp.

BiP currently holds the top position in Bangladesh among the top messaging apps for Android, according to one of the world's leading app store optimization and mobile app intelligence platforms, MobileAction.

The logo of the messaging application WhatsApp (C) on a smartphone screen with the Facebook (top L) app logo. Photo: EPA-EFE/RITCHIE B. TONGO

The Turkish competition watchdog said the requirement allowing collection of that data should be suspended until the investigation is over.

The Turkish Competition Board said on Jan. 11 it launched an investigation into WhatsApp and its owner Facebook after the messaging app asked users to agree to let Facebook collect user data including phone numbers and locations.

"Disclosure of personal data, recording sensitive information, or storing people's profiles on unauthorized servers are some of the risks that go hand in hand with the use of video-conferencing tools," says Skopje-based cybersecurity practitioner Daniel Trenchov.

As the Education Ministry scrambles to establish distance learning via virtual tools for long-term school closures, some teachers and pupils in Greece are trying to adapt to the new normal of instruction in the face of the public health emergency.

Technology giant Facebook announced on Oct. 29 that it was suing Israeli online surveillance firm NSO Group over the alleged hacking of users of its popular WhatsApp messaging service between April and May this year.