WhatsApp, the popular messaging service, is raising its minimum age from 13 to 16 in Europe to help it comply with new data privacy rules coming into force next month (May).The app, which is owned by Facebook, will ask users to confirm their age when prompted to agree new terms of service in the next few weeks.

Whatsapp, which has a separate data policy, is taking a different approach to teens aged between 13 and 15 in order to comply with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law. The app will ask them to nominate a parent or guardian to give permission for them to share information on the platform, otherwise, they will not see a fully personalized version of the social media platform.

How WhatsApp will confirm the age and enforce the new limit is unclear. WhatsApp said it is not asking for any new rights to collect personal information in the agreement it has created for the European Union. It said: “Our goal is simply to explain how we use and protect the limited information we have about you.”

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