Data dip

UK halts Facebook's WhatsApp data dip

The country's Information Commissioner said she did not believe the firm had obtained valid consent for the move and added that people must be given "ongoing control" over their data.

Elizabeth Denham said that Facebook had agreed to "pause" its rollout but had not met all her demands.

Facebook has yet to publicly comment.

The California-based company bought WhatsApp in 2014 and pledged to keep the chat app independent.

However, in August, WhatsApp made changes to its privacy policy, prompting an investigation by the UK watchdog.