You'll now have to be 16 years and older to use WhatsApp in Europe
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If you’re using WhatsApp in Europe, you may find yourself needing to verify your age or the age of a minor in the coming weeks.
WhatsApp is making a change to the service that now requires users to be 13 years or over to use its service or 16 years when it comes to the EU.
This comes as part of a series of changes Facebook is making to its service with the advent of the GDPR(General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe next month.
WhatsApp’s new terms of service now read:
“If you live in a country in the European Region, you must be at least 16 years old to use our Services or such greater age required in your country to register for or use our Services. If you live in any other country except those in the European Region, you must be at least 13 years old to use our Services or such greater age required in your country to register for or use our Services. In addition to being of the minimum required age to use our Services under applicable law, if you are not old enough to have authority to agree to our Terms in your country, your parent or guardian must agree to our Terms on your behalf.
It’s not entirely clear how WhatsApp plans to enforce this, or if it even does as people are capable of lying about their ages, and often to on the internet to faceless companies.
