Argentina Suspends WhatsApp Update for Antitrust Probe Into Facebook (1)

Argentina has ordered Facebook Inc. to suspend implementation of the new conditions of service and privacy policy for the WhatsApp messaging service while it probes possible competition issues.

Under the ruling issued May 17 by the Secretariat for Domestic Trade, the companies should abstain from implementing the new rules for six months or as long as Argentina’s competition authority Comisión Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia takes to complete the investigation.

The ministry said that the new rules authorizing WhatsApp to share users’ data with companies in the Facebook group could represent a potential breach of Argentina’s competition laws, especially ...