Brazil: Filed MPF and Idec public lawsuit against Whatsapp regarding alleged violations in privacy policy

On 16 July 2024, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) and the Consumer Defence Institute (Idec) filed a public lawsuit seeking BRL 1.733 billion in compensation from WhatsApp for alleged violations of its privacy policy. The MPF and Idec allege that WhatsApp failed to provide adequate information about the changes to its privacy policy in 2021, thereby violating the rights of the app's users in Brazil. They contend that users were coerced into accepting the new rules, which permitted the abusive collection and sharing of personal data with other Meta Group platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit argues that WhatsApp's practices contravene several provisions of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD), particularly the rights of citizens to be fully informed and free from coercion when giving consent for their personal data to be used commercially.