Turkey says WhatsApp will drop data collection update after probe

FILE PHOTO: The WhatsApp app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's Competition Board said on Friday it had been informed by WhatsApp that it would not implement a messaging app update in Turkey allowing it and owner Facebook Inc to collect certain user data, after the board launched an investigation.

In January, WhatsApp updated its terms of service, allowing Facebook and its subsidiaries to collect user data such as phone numbers and locations, triggering a backlash in Turkey and a probe by the Competition Board.