ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s media office has reportedly planning to shut down its WhatsApp groups over privacy concerns.
The move comes after Ankara called for a nationwide boycott of the Facebook-owned messaging app. The office is switching over to its local app ‘BiP’.
The decision comes amid growing consternation over WhatsApp’s new policy that will begin sharing personal data with its parent company, Facebook. The policy comes into effect on 8th February and users who refuse the new terms will not be able to access their accounts on the messaging platform.
Ali Taha Koc, head of the presidency’s Digital Transformation Office, released a statement in which he warned that foreign-made applications contain significant risks to data security.
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He urged Turkish citizens to switch over to local and national software, claiming the move would help Turkey safeguard its data. “As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated, let’s stand against digital fascism together!” he concluded.
