WhatsApp is implementing changes to its terms of service in response to Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA), affecting users in the US. While seemingly quite straightforward, these changes have broader implications worth noting.

Forbes reported&nbsp;that WhatsApp's new terms will be&nbsp;in effect this week. You need to accept them by the end of Wednesday or delete your account.

The DMA's influence extends beyond Europe, attracting attention from regulators globally, particularly in the US. With WhatsApp leading the charge in adapting to regulatory changes, other tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta are closely monitoring the situation.

Apple's iMessage has drawn scrutiny in a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit, citing concerns about its closed ecosystem and lack of interoperability with Android. This lawsuit sheds light on bigger&nbsp;issues surrounding user privacy and competition in messaging platforms.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/explained-from-thefacebook-to-meta-20-year-long-controversial-journey-of-social-media-giant-686951">Also read |&nbsp;Explained | From Facebook to Meta, 20-year-long controversial journey of social media giant</a>

<h2>Meta's legal challenges and WhatsApp's integration</h2>

Meta faces its own legal battles, notably regarding the FTC's attempts to unwind acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. WhatsApp's updated terms also hint at&nbsp;the need to integrate with third-party platforms like Sunbird, marking a significant shift in its approach to messaging.

Sunbird aims to integrate popular messaging apps, including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, into a unified platform, highlighting the potential for third-party engagement. Despite previous setbacks, Sunbird's re-emergence signals a changing landscape for messaging interoperability.

While WhatsApp promises&nbsp;end-to-end encryption, Meta warns of potential risks associated with third-party providers handling message transmission. This raises concerns about data security and user privacy in an increasingly interconnected messaging environment.

Also watch |&nbsp;India elections 2024: Meta launches India-specific elections operations centre

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-elections-2024-meta-launches-india-specific-elections-operations-centre-702324/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The evolving regulatory landscape and technological advancements reshape the narrative around secure messaging. WhatsApp users face a paradigm shift, marked by increased regulatory oversight and the integration of third-party chat services.

(With inputs from agencies)

WhatsApp is implementing changes to its terms of service in response to Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA), affecting users in the US. While seemingly quite straightforward, these changes have broader implications worth noting.

WhatsApp is implementing changes to its terms of service in response to Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA), affecting users in the US. While seemingly quite straightforward, these changes have broader implications worth noting. Forbes reported that WhatsApp's new terms will be in effect this week. You need to accept them by the end of Wednesday or delete your account. The DMA's influence extends beyond Europe, attracting attention from regulators globally, particularly in the US. With WhatsApp leading the charge in adapting to regulatory changes, other tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta are closely monitoring the situation. Apple's iMessage has drawn scrutiny in a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit, citing concerns about its closed ecosystem and lack of interoperability with Android. This lawsuit sheds light on bigger issues surrounding user privacy and competition in messaging platforms. Also read | Explained | From Facebook to Meta, 20-year-long controversial journey of social media giant Meta's legal challenges and WhatsApp's integration Meta faces its own legal battles, notably regarding the FTC's attempts to unwind acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. WhatsApp's updated terms also hint at the need to integrate with third-party platforms like Sunbird, marking a significant shift in its approach to messaging. Sunbird aims to integrate popular messaging apps, including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, into a unified platform, highlighting the potential for third-party engagement. Despite previous setbacks, Sunbird's re-emergence signals a changing landscape for messaging interoperability. While WhatsApp promises end-to-end encryption, Meta warns of potential risks associated with third-party providers handling message transmission. This raises concerns about data security and user privacy in an increasingly interconnected messaging environment. Also watch | India elections 2024: Meta launches India-specific elections operations centre The evolving regulatory landscape and technological advancements reshape the narrative around secure messaging. WhatsApp users face a paradigm shift, marked by increased regulatory oversight and the integration of third-party chat services. (With inputs from agencies)

WhatsApp deadline looms: 72 hours to accept new terms or delete your account

Austria's government said Monday it would not implement a ban on the controversial herbicide glyphosate, despite MPs having voted for it to come into effect on January 1.

In a letter to the speaker of parliament, Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein said the European Commission had not been given the necessary notification about the measure and it therefore could not enter into force.

"I want to stress that this is purely a formal legal decision and not about assessing the content of the proposal," Bierlein said, adding that the government had sought legal advice before taking the decision.

Austria would have been the first EU country to enforce a ban on the herbicide after lawmakers approved the measure in July.

Glyphosate is classified as "probably carcinogenic" by the World Health Organisation (WHO), but the EU in December 2017 renewed the weedkiller's licence across Europe for five years.

Its use has sparked debate in several European countries, not least with regard to how it could be replaced given its heavy use in the farming sector.&nbsp;

Although Brussels itself had not attempted to prevent the ban, the government said the European Commission "had indicated the possibility of infringement proceedings" against Austria for not following the proper procedure.

Campaign group Greenpeace reacted furiously to the government's decision, calling it a "betrayal of democracy" and accusing the government of using "legal excuses".

July's vote in parliament took the government by surprise as it had not proposed the legislation.

It passed thanks to a temporary alliance of all parties in parliament except for the centre-right People's Party (OeVP).

The current interim government will remain in place until a new coalition emerges from the results of snap elections held in September.

The OeVP, led by ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz, finished as by far the single largest party in the poll.

The OeVP is now in coalition talks with the other big winner of September's poll, the Greens, who support the glyphosate ban.

Austria's government said Monday it would not implement a ban on the controversial herbicide glyphosate, despite MPs having voted for it to come into effect on January 1.

Austria's government said Monday it would not implement a ban on the controversial herbicide glyphosate, despite MPs having voted for it to come into effect on January 1. In a letter to the speaker of parliament, Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein said the European Commission had not been given the necessary notification about the measure and it therefore could not enter into force. "I want to stress that this is purely a formal legal decision and not about assessing the content of the proposal," Bierlein said, adding that the government had sought legal advice before taking the decision. Austria would have been the first EU country to enforce a ban on the herbicide after lawmakers approved the measure in July. Glyphosate is classified as "probably carcinogenic" by the World Health Organisation (WHO), but the EU in December 2017 renewed the weedkiller's licence across Europe for five years. Its use has sparked debate in several European countries, not least with regard to how it could be replaced given its heavy use in the farming sector. Although Brussels itself had not attempted to prevent the ban, the government said the European Commission "had indicated the possibility of infringement proceedings" against Austria for not following the proper procedure. Campaign group Greenpeace reacted furiously to the government's decision, calling it a "betrayal of democracy" and accusing the government of using "legal excuses". July's vote in parliament took the government by surprise as it had not proposed the legislation. It passed thanks to a temporary alliance of all parties in parliament except for the centre-right People's Party (OeVP). The current interim government will remain in place until a new coalition emerges from the results of snap elections held in September. The OeVP, led by ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz, finished as by far the single largest party in the poll. The OeVP is now in coalition talks with the other big winner of September's poll, the Greens, who support the glyphosate ban.

Austria: Government declines to implement glyphosate ban for 2020

The&nbsp;United States and its negotiating partners granted secret exemptions to Iran that allowed the country to launch their nuclear program in January this year, according a report published yesterday. 
 
The report released by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security is based on information provided by several officials of governments involved in the negotiations, Reuters reported. 
 
&#39;One senior knowledgeable official stated that if the Joint Commission had not acted to create these exemptions, some of Iran&rsquo;s nuclear facilities would not have been in compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by Implementation Day,&#39; the report stated. 
 
The report said that the JCPOA had placed some limitations on Iran&#39;s nuclear program that needed to be met by January 16, 2016. 
 
Most of the conditions were met by Iran, the report said. But some of the &#39;nuclear stocks and facilities were not in accordance with JCPOA limits on Implementation Day&#39;, the authors of the report David Albright and Andrea Stricker found. 
 
A statement issued by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s campaign pointed a finger towards Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Reuters reported. 
 
&quot;The deeply flawed nuclear deal Hillary Clinton secretly spearheaded with Iran looks worse and worse by the day,&quot; said retired Army General Michael Flynn, a top Trump adviser. &quot;It&rsquo;s now clear President Obama gave away the store to secure a weak agreement that is full of loopholes.&quot; 
 
White House criticised the report yesterday, defending its approval of Iran&#39;s nuclear program. 
 
&quot;Iran is in compliance with the agreement. That&#39;s not my opinion. That&#39;s not rhetoric. That is not a conjecture. That is a fact that is verified by independent international experts who, because of the agreement, now have the kind of access that is required to verify it,&quot; CNN reported spokesman Josh Earnest as saying. 
 
The report included a 3-point list on the exemptions that were in effect on Implementation Day. 
 
The exemptions included a loophole involving the amount of low enriched uranium the country was allowed to keep in storage. Iran. According to &#39;one knowledgeable senior official&#39;, Iran would have exceeded the 300-kilogram limitation if the exemptions had not been given. 
 
The commission also allowed Iran to operate 19 hot cells larger than specified dimensions which could be &#39;misused for secret, small-scale plutonium separation efforts&#39;. Plutonium is one&nbsp;of the most commonly used material for nuclear weapons. 
 
The authors asserted that the decision to keep the exemptions confidential was a &#39;potentially agreement-weakening decision&#39; by the Joint Commission. &#39;United States should agree to any exemptions or loopholes in the JCPOA only if the decisions are simultaneously made public,&#39; the authors said. 
 
The authors raised a question on whether Iran was using the leeway given to them to &#39;weaken as many JCPOA limitations as possible&#39;. The think-tank report called for the exemption process and the joint commission decision to be transparent. 
 
You can read the original report here: http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/jcpoa-exemptions-revealed 
 
(WION)

The report states that some of Iran's nuclear stocks and facilities were not in accordance with the joint commission's limits

The United States and its negotiating partners granted secret exemptions to Iran that allowed the country to launch their nuclear program in January this year, according a report published yesterday. The report released by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security is based on information provided by several officials of governments involved in the negotiations, Reuters reported. 'One senior knowledgeable official stated that if the Joint Commission had not acted to create these exemptions, some of Iran’s nuclear facilities would not have been in compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by Implementation Day,' the report stated. The report said that the JCPOA had placed some limitations on Iran's nuclear program that needed to be met by January 16, 2016. Most of the conditions were met by Iran, the report said. But some of the 'nuclear stocks and facilities were not in accordance with JCPOA limits on Implementation Day', the authors of the report David Albright and Andrea Stricker found. A statement issued by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign pointed a finger towards Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Reuters reported. "The deeply flawed nuclear deal Hillary Clinton secretly spearheaded with Iran looks worse and worse by the day," said retired Army General Michael Flynn, a top Trump adviser. "It’s now clear President Obama gave away the store to secure a weak agreement that is full of loopholes." White House criticised the report yesterday, defending its approval of Iran's nuclear program. "Iran is in compliance with the agreement. That's not my opinion. That's not rhetoric. That is not a conjecture. That is a fact that is verified by independent international experts who, because of the agreement, now have the kind of access that is required to verify it," CNN reported spokesman Josh Earnest as saying. The report included a 3-point list on the exemptions that were in effect on Implementation Day. The exemptions included a loophole involving the amount of low enriched uranium the country was allowed to keep in storage. Iran. According to 'one knowledgeable senior official', Iran would have exceeded the 300-kilogram limitation if the exemptions had not been given. The commission also allowed Iran to operate 19 hot cells larger than specified dimensions which could be 'misused for secret, small-scale plutonium separation efforts'. Plutonium is one of the most commonly used material for nuclear weapons. The authors asserted that the decision to keep the exemptions confidential was a 'potentially agreement-weakening decision' by the Joint Commission. 'United States should agree to any exemptions or loopholes in the JCPOA only if the decisions are simultaneously made public,' the authors said. The authors raised a question on whether Iran was using the leeway given to them to 'weaken as many JCPOA limitations as possible'. The think-tank report called for the exemption process and the joint commission decision to be transparent. You can read the original report here: http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/jcpoa-exemptions-revealed (WION)

Secret exemptions granted to Iran for nuclear deal