The Electronic Privacy Information Center and Center for Digital Democracy claim that the purchase is unfair because users of the messaging services had an expectation that their data would not be collected for advertising purposes.

The groups claimed that Facebook "routinely makes use of user information for advertising purposes and has made clear that it intends to incorporate the data of WhatsApp users into the user profiling business model".

Privacy groups have approached the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to put on hold Facebook's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp and investigate how the social media giant plans to use subscriber data.

Both WhatsApp and Facebook have said that nothing will change for those who use the messaging service, but that doesn’t satisfy those concerned with privacy. The complaint asks that the deal be examined “specifically with regard to the ability of Facebook to access WhatsApp's store of user mobile phone numbers and metadata.

EPIC requested the FTC to use its authority to "halt" the proposed acquisition and in case it proceeds, order Facebook to "insulate WhatsApp users' information from access by Facebook's data collection practices."

     

WhatsApp also reassured its users in a blog post when the acquisition was announced that nothing would be changing, saying it will remain autonomous and operate independently. They also said that its app will remain ad-free.

       

And Facebook also said in a statement. “As we have said repeatedly, WhatsApp will operate as a separate company and will honor its commitments to privacy and securit.”.