https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A German regulator on Tuesday slapped a three-month ban on Facebook collecting user data from WhatsApp accounts and referred the case to an EU watchdog, citing concerns about election integrity. https://www.thelocal.de/20210511/germany-halts-facebook-sharing-whatsapp-data Tue, 11 May 2021 17:28:57 +0200 germany-halts-facebook-sharing-whatsapp-data From higher taxes to healthier products, we look at what changes when January becomes February on Friday. https://www.thelocal.de/20190131/everything-that-changes-in-february Thu, 31 Jan 2019 16:31:58 +0100 everything-that-changes-in-february A Hamburg startup has started offering people who’ve picked up a cold the chance to buy a sick note without visiting a doctor. But medical associations are concerned about the business venture. https://www.thelocal.de/20190107/dont-use-new-whatsapp-sick-note-service-german-doctors-advise Mon, 07 Jan 2019 13:31:42 +0100 dont-use-new-whatsapp-sick-note-service-german-doctors-advise German car parts supplier Continental on Tuesday said it was banning the use of WhatsApp and Snapchat on work-issued mobile phones "with immediate effect" because of data protection concerns. https://www.thelocal.de/20180605/continental-bans-whatsapp-and-snapchat-from-work-phones Tue, 05 Jun 2018 13:09:06 +0200 continental-bans-whatsapp-and-snapchat-from-work-phones Saarland unveiled some 400 of its own emojis, so-called ‘Saarmojis,’ on Tuesday in Saarbrücken. https://www.thelocal.de/20180314/saarmojis-saarland-the-first-german-state-with-its-own-emojis Wed, 14 Mar 2018 11:19:01 +0100 saarmojis-saarland-the-first-german-state-with-its-own-emojis Germany on Thursday passed a controversial new law that expands the power of authorities to spy on the content of encrypted message services such as WhatsApp and Skype. https://www.thelocal.de/20170623/germany-expands-surveillance-of-encrypted-message-services Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:32:39 +0200 germany-expands-surveillance-of-encrypted-message-services A leaked WhatsApp chat in which the Alternative for Germany's (AfD) state leader in Saxony-Anhalt used a neo-Nazi slogan has forced the party to defend itself against renewed accusations of extremism. https://www.thelocal.de/20170622/germany-for-the-germans-explosive-whatsapp-leaks-pile-pressure-on-far-right-afd Thu, 22 Jun 2017 18:13:56 +0200 germany-for-the-germans-explosive-whatsapp-leaks-pile-pressure-on-far-right-afd German data protection authorities on Tuesday said they had blocked Facebook from collecting subscriber data from its subsidiary WhatsApp, citing privacy concerns. https://www.thelocal.de/20160927/germany-blocks-whatsapp-data-transfers-to-facebook Tue, 27 Sep 2016 16:17:14 +0200 germany-blocks-whatsapp-data-transfers-to-facebook The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) has threatened legal action against WhatsApp for passing on user information such as telephone numbers to Facebook, which new user terms permit it to do. https://www.thelocal.de/20160920/whatsapp-faces-legal-action-for-passing-user-phonebooks-to-facebook Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:56:24 +0200 whatsapp-faces-legal-action-for-passing-user-phonebooks-to-facebook The CEO of WhatsApp could face jail in Germany unless the company moves quickly to provide its terms and conditions in the German language, a recently-published court ruling shows. https://www.thelocal.de/20160518/speak-german-or-face-jail-court-tells-whatsapp Wed, 18 May 2016 13:33:37 +0200 speak-german-or-face-jail-court-tells-whatsapp A court in western Germany found a man guilty of sexually abusing a child using communications sent through messaging app WhatsApp. https://www.thelocal.de/20160222/court-whatsapp-messages-can-be-sexual-abuse Mon, 22 Feb 2016 12:19:05 +0100 court-whatsapp-messages-can-be-sexual-abuse