Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 10 February 2026 – WhatsApp Ireland v European Data Protection Board

(Case C-97/23 P)  (1)

(Appeal - Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data - Regulation (EU) 2016/679 - Article 63 - Consistency mechanism - Article 65 - Dispute resolution by the European Data Protection Board - Binding decision - Action for annulment - First paragraph of Article 263 TFEU - Act open to challenge - Fourth paragraph of Article 263 TFEU - Condition that the measure against which the action has been brought must be of direct concern to the applicant)

(C/2026/1988)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Appellant: WhatsApp Ireland (represented by: E. Egan McGrath, Senior Counsel, C. Geoghegan, Senior Counsel, D. McGrath, Senior Counsel, P. Sreenan, Senior Counsel, B. Johnston, C. Monaghan and P. Nolan, Solicitors, H.-G. Kamann, Rechtsanwalt, F. Louis and A. Vallery, avocats)

Other party to the proceedings: European Data Protection Board (represented by: C. Foglia, M. Gufflet, G. Le Grand and I. Vereecken, acting as Agents, and G. Haumont, E. de Lophem, P. Vernet, avocats, and G. Ryelandt, advocaat)

Intervener in support of the other party: Federal Republic of Germany (represented initially by J. Möller and P.-L. Krüger, and subsequently by J. Möller, acting as Agents)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.	Sets aside the order of the General Court of the European Union of 7 December 2022, WhatsApp Ireland v European Data Protection Board (T-709/21, EU:T:2022:783);

2.	Refers the case back to the General Court of the European Union;

3.	Reserves the costs.

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(1)   OJ C 121, 3.4.2023.