Germany lets users decide if Facebook can merge their WhatsApp and Instagram data

Germany is known for its no-nonsense approach to digital data gathering -- back in 2016 it took a hard stance against Facebook's use of WhatsApp data, and more recently announced its plans to investigate the Google data exposure. Now, its anti-trust watchdog Bundeskartellamt has ordered a crackdown on Facebook's data combination practices in a landmark ruling that could have wide-ranging repercussions for the social network. As it currently stands, Facebook users are only able to use to platform under the condition that Facebook can also collect their user data outside of the network. This data comes from the company's own services, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, and from third-party websites with embedded Facebook like and share buttons -- and even on pages where there's no obvious sign the company is present. The Bundeskartellamt claims that this adds up to an abuse of market dominance, and in its ruling stipulates that Facebook may continue to collect this data only if users give their voluntary consent.