WhatsApp Will Limit the Functionality of Some Users on May 15
The developers of WhatsApp, the most popular messenger in the world, reminded that the time allotted for accepting the new policy for using the service is coming to an end. In a note published on the official support page of WhatsApp, the developers talked about what will happen to the accounts of users who will not accept the new rules until May 15.
The new policy implies that Facebook will receive extended information about user accounts from WhatsApp. If earlier you could have avoided this by disabling the corresponding option in the settings, now users will be obliged to share data about their profiles with Facebook.
Since 2016, WhatsApp's privacy policy has allowed the service to share certain metadata with Facebook, such as phone numbers and device information. The new conditions will allow Facebook and WhatsApp to exchange data about payments and transactions as well. This is necessary for more effective ad targeting.
The messenger introduced a new privacy policy back in February, but users criticized the innovation and the paragraph that allows WhatsApp to transfer data to Facebook. Amid criticism, the messenger postponed the launch of the new policy to May 15.
Now users of the messenger have a little less than a month left to give their consent to the new privacy policy. Those who agree to the new terms of use for WhatsApp will be able to use it as before.
Users who refuse to accept the updated rules will be limited in functionality. Users who disagree with the new privacy policy will not be able to read and send messages. The messenger will only work to receive calls and notifications until the person agrees with the updated terms.
The service offers several options to users whose accounts will be limited in functionality:
- Accept changes after May 15.
- Export their chat history to Android and iPhone, if necessary. This can be done by May 15.
User accounts that do not accept the new WhatsApp terms will be considered inactive and deleted after 120 days of inactivity.
Back in the winter, when the news about the new policy had just appeared on the Internet, many users preferred to switch to other messengers. According to Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, after the announcement from the WhatsApp developers, Telegram had 25 million new users.