Privacy groups ask regulators to halt Facebook's $19 billion WhatsApp deal

Privacy advocates have asked US regulators to halt Facebook Inc's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp, until there is a clearer understanding of how the company intends to use the personal data of WhatsApp's 450 million users.

WhatsApp, a service that allows mobile phone users to send messages, has had a longstanding commitment to not collect user data for advertising purposes. Privacy groups have even requested the regulators to investigate the deal with regards to the ability of Facebook to access WhatsApp's store of user mobile phone numbers and metadata.

‘As we have said repeatedly, Whatsapp will operate as a separate company and will honor its commitments to privacy and security,’ stated Facebook.

Regulators must require that Facebook insulate WhatsApp user information from access by Facebook's data collection practices, reads the complaint.

"WhatsApp users could not reasonably have anticipated that by selecting a pro-privacy messaging service, they would subject their data to Facebook's data collection practices," reads the filing.