Today is the first day of WhatsApp’s new privacy policy. The company, which is owned by Facebook, has been delaying its deadline for users to accept the new terms of service, but it will begin taking action soon. To recap, WhatsApp’s new privacy policy was supposed to go into effect on February 8, but it was postponed until May 15 due to widespread user backlash. Users were forced to accept the new terms of service or risk losing access to their accounts. However, WhatsApp has loosened the deadline again, stating that while no accounts will be deleted, features will be restricted in the near future.
WhatsApp earlier today tweeted assuring users that it “can’t see your personal messages”, and that it “won’t delete your account.” It also added that users can accept the new privacy policy at any time. This means that you can continue using WhatsApp even if you haven’t accepted the new terms of service. But you will have to eventually if you want to continue using WhatsApp services.
If users do not accept the new terms, they will have “limited account functionality.” These WhatsApp users will be unable to access their chat history, but they will be able to receive and respond to voice and video calls. These users will also be able to return a missed voice or video call through WhatsApp. Notifications will continue to arrive, and users will have the ability to read and respond to them.
However, this will only last a few weeks, as WhatsApp will eventually stop allowing users to receive incoming calls or notifications, effectively shutting down the service. Users will be forced to accept the new policy or risk losing their WhatsApp account.
