EU to crack down on online services such as WhatsApp over privacy

Europe will publish draft law to ensure that online messaging services have privacy rules like those for texts and calls

WhatsApp, Skype and other online messaging services face an EU crackdown aimed at safeguarding users' privacy, in a move that highlights the gulf between Europe and the US in regulating the internet.

The European commission will publish a draft law on data privacy that aims to ensure instant message and internet-voice-call services face similar security and privacy rules to those governing SMS text messages, mobile calls and landline calls.