WhatsApp won't let under-16s use the platform in Europe

Popular instant messaging app WhatsApp is changing it norms and now the users have to be at least 13 years old to create a WhatsApp account. The company is enforcing this rules strictly ahead of the introduction of new data privacy rules in Europe next month.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp will ask the European users to confirm that they are at least 16 years old when they are prompted to accept new service terms and the updated privacy policy in the upcoming weeks. So far it's not been cleared that how WhatsApp will verify if the users are underage or not.

WhatsApp, which hit over 1.5 billion monthly users in January, clarified in a blog post that it will not be asking about personal data of users. Facebook has a separate data policy and takes a different approach to users aged between 13 and 15 years.

"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," WhatsApp's updated terms of service state.

WhatsApp was founded back in 2009. The company has been facing a lot of flak from some European governments in recent years because of its end-to-end encrypted messaging system and its decision to share more data with its parent company, Facebook.

Facebook is also under observation from lawmakers and regulators around the world. Since it's been disclosed that the personal data of millions of users were compromised with a political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

The minimum age of using WhatsApp will remain 13 years in the rest of the world, in line with its parent.

There are other changes made by WhatsApp will enable users to download report detailing the data it holds on them, such as the make and model of the device they use, their contacts and groups, and the list of blocked numbers.

"This feature will be rolling out to all users around the world on the newest version of the app," according to the blog post.

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