The Turkish Competition Board revealed that they have launched an investigation into WhatsApp and its owner Facebook Inc after the short messaging application asked users to agree to let Facebook collect user data including phone numbers and locations.
According to a written statement, the board stated that it had decided that the data collection conditions should be postponed until the investigation is completed.
For everyone's knowledge, WhatsApp updated its terms of service last Wednesday, which allows Facebook and its subsidiaries to collect user data. The deadline to agree to the new terms is February 8.
Meanwhile, their competitors' order application companies, Signal and Telegram, have since seen a sharp increase in demand.
In addition, the Turkish government has targeted social media companies with new sanctions and fines since it passed a law in July that prompted local oversight of foreign companies. Critics, however, say the law restricts differences of opinion from Turkish citizens who use online platforms after the government tightened the grip of the mainstream media.
