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South Africa: Information Regulator investigation into WhatsApp's privacy policy

Progress

Current status
under investigation
13 Nov 2025 under investigation
03 Mar 2021 under investigation
13 Jan 2021 under deliberation

Scope

Implementers
South Africa
Policy Area
Data governance
Policy Instrument
Data protection regulation
Regulated Economic Activity
platform intermediary: user-generated content
Government Branch
executive
Government Body
data protection authority
Implementation Level
national

Timeline of events

13 Nov 2025
under investigation

Information Regulator entered into settlement agreement with WhatsApp resolving concerns on privacy policy

On 13 November 2025, the Information Regulator announced a settlement agreement with WhatsApp concerning its 2021 Privacy Policy. The agreement addresses WhatsApp's processing of personal information in South Africa. As part of the settlement, Whats…

Source
Event type investigation
Action type interim ruling
Government branch executive
Government body data protection authority
03 Mar 2021
under investigation

Issued legal analysis on Whatsapp’s privacy policy under POPIA

On 3 March 2021, South Africa’s Information Regulator announced it had provided a legal analysis of some of the concerns that it has about the privacy policy of Facebook’s Whatsapp. The Information Regulator noted that users who do not accept the te…

Source
Event type investigation
Action type interim ruling
Government branch executive
Government body data protection authority
13 Jan 2021
under deliberation

Announced investigation into WhatsApp's privacy policy under POPIA

On 13 January 2021, South Africa’s Information Regulator announced it was launching an investigation into WhatsApp’s privacy policy, which was revised on 04 January 2021. In particular, the Information Regulator will assess whether WhatsApp's terms …

Source
Event type investigation
Action type announcement
Government branch executive
Government body data protection authority