“As a result of the negotiation of the file by the Competition Board on October 20th, 2022, it was decided to impose administrative fines on Facebook for obstructing its competitors operating in social network services and online advertising markets as it merged data collected through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp,” the Turkish Competition Board said in a statement

In January 2021, WhatsApp announced an update to its Privacy Policy which stated that WhatsApp would share user data with Facebook and its "family of companies" beginning in February 2021.

Previously, users could opt-out of such data sharing, but the new policy removed this option. The new Privacy Policy would not apply within the EU, as it is illegal under the GDPR. Facebook and WhatsApp were widely criticized for this move.

The enforcement of the privacy policy was postponed from February 8 to May 15, 2021, but WhatsApp announced they have no plans to limit the functionality of the app for those who don't approve of the new terms or to give them persistent reminders to do so. (ILKHA)