Auto-equipment maker Continental and chemical company Lanxess have announced a ban on downloading the instant messaging app WhatsApp as well as a ban on image and video exchange via Snapchat across all their professional services mobile devices. This is in order to ensure compliance with a new European Directive on data protection. As such, Continental is joining the ranks of others including Deutsche Bank and Volkswagen that have sought alternative solutions. At Lufthansa and Siemens however both apps are still allowed albeit under specific circumstances.
36,000 mobiles to go without WhatsApp. Continental and Lanxess have both announced a ban on WhatsApp and Snapchat (for Continental) on all their work mobiles. This will impact 4,000 mobile devices at Lanxess and 36,000 at Continent, which also extended the ban across all its subsidiaries outside Europe. The auto-equipment supplier views this as the only sure way to avoid violating the new European Directive on data protection (c.f. article No. 10595). Criticism of both apps can be distilled...
Do you have information to share with us?