EU to relaunch push to regulate WhatsApp, Skype on privacy

Brussels: The EU will relaunch its deadlocked effort to more closely regulate internet phone and message services such as WhatsApp, Skype and Messenger, a top bloc official said on Tuesday.

The European Union has struggled to revamp privacy and data rules on telecoms since a proposal in January 2017 met with strong opposition from member states and fierce lobbying by big tech companies.

Europe is seeking to be the global leader on stronger regulation of big tech companies, and the failure to agree on the so-called ePrivacy regulation has been a source of embarrassment.

“We will have to probably put on the table a new proposal,” Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton told EU telecom ministers at talks in Brussels.