Tuesday, 20.12.2016, 16:33
The one-billion Acquisition of WhatsApp for Facebook in Europe, an unpleasant aftermath. The EU-Commission to be misled, and starts a process that could bring Facebook to a penalty and loss of Image.
The EU Commission accuses Facebook of misleading information during the Acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014. The Deal is not called in question, but the world’s largest Online network of a penalty, as well as the disgrace, to be a possible lie is accused of threatening at the end of the procedure. “In this particular case, the Commission is of the preliminary view that Facebook has made in the framework of the audit of the Acquisition of WhatsApp, incorrect or misleading information,” said competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. Facebook said in a first reaction, you’ve always given correct information.
Facebook is intentionally or negligently incorrect information
The Commission said on Tuesday that Facebook had indicated during the examination of the WhatsApp deal, that it is not going to be possible, an automatic data matching between the user accounts of both services. In August of 2016 Facebook had announced, however, to associate in the future, the phone numbers of WhatsApp users with Facebook profiles.
The EU’s competition authorities are now of the view “that, contrary to the statements and position of Facebook during the investigation, the technical possibility of automatic adjustment of the Facebook-user profiles with WhatsApp user profiles already in the year of 2014 has passed”. The Commission therefore fear that Facebook had intentionally or negligently, made false or misleading statements. This is a preliminary assessment, limited the authorities in Brussels. Facebook now has until the end of January to respond officially to the charge.
the permission of the Takeover will not put in question
“We have always provided accurate information about our technical possibilities and plans available,” said a Facebook spokesman. This was both for the Takeover of 2014, as well as to the plans for linking the data in this year. Facebook was confident that a detailed examination will confirm this.
The Commission said that the permission of the Takeover will not put in question, because other factors would have tipped the scales. Nevertheless, they can impose because of false information during the audit, a penalty, which can amount to a percent of the annual turnover of the company. Facebook came in 2015 on revenues of almost $ 18 billion and exceeded this value already in the first three quarters of this year, with 18.8 billion dollars.
WhatsApp has over a billion users and is also very popular in Germany. Facebook had bought the short message service two years ago for about $ 22 billion. At that time, it was stated that the data remain separated and WhatsApp would continue to operate independently. Even now, it is assured that Facebook can’t get access to the content of the short messages because they are encrypted. With the help of the WhatsApp data, Facebook is to get users, but according to the Online network, with more relevant advertising and better friends-proposals.
In the Video: Why Facebook so quickly of a “stop in Berlin,” wrote
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