The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) stated that Facebook has agreed to suspend using the data of the UK users of its WhatsApp messaging app. The British watchdog had argued that the users were not adequately protected. It had also warned Facebook about possible action if the company used the data without obtaining valid consent.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp had announced that it would start sharing its users' data with its parent company Facebook. The announcement was met with widespread criticism from various authorities including the 28 data protection authorities in the European Union. WhatsApp was asked to stop sharing such data until it was assured that proper legal protections were provided.

Elizabeth Denham, head of the ICO, said, "We're pleased that they've agreed to pause using data from UK WhatsApp users for advertisements or product improvement purposes." The ICO also stated that it might take enforcement action against Facebook in the case of violation.

Facebook and WhatsApp have also been asked to sign an undertaking, providing details about the use of consumer data. However, the companies have not indicated their agreement to the requirement so far. A Facebook representative said that it would continue the discussions with the authorities.

Denham also expressed concerns over the cases where companies merge such users' data upon mergers or acquisitions. She said that such situations are generally beyond the control of users and may result in the revelation of intrusive details.

Facebook has been approached by several European privacy protection authorities. The company claims that the data collected by WhatsApp is "extremely limited." It also said that only a portion of such collected data is shared with Facebook.