The U.S. messaging service “Whatsapp’’ will face a fine of up to 250,000 euros ($283,000) if it fails to translate its terms and conditions for German users, a court in Berlin ruled on Tuesday.
The case was brought by a consumer rights organisation that claimed Whatsapp’s terms and conditions are hard for Germans to understand, and that the court should rule on the matter in order to set a precedence for other international companies.
The Facebook-owned company’s terms and conditions include information about what Whatsapp does with its users’ data.
It also said that people under the age of 16 should not use the messaging service.
The judge who issued the verdict said that Whatsapp should also provide a phone number for users with grievances and that an email address on its Facebook page was not sufficient.
Germans are particularly attuned to the importance of privacy due to Stasi excesses during Communist rule.
Politicians and the public are still debating the issue after revelations that Germany’s foreign intelligence agency may have helped the NSA target thousands at home and elsewhere in the EU.
