Facebook-owned WhatsApp is trying to get users to agree to its new privacy policy by slowly asking them to consent to it by May 15th.
TechCrunch reports that if users don’t agree to the new policy by the deadline, some parts of the app will be unusable. Users will be slowly asked to comply with the new terms to keep all functions of the app.
An email sent to one of WhatsApp’s business partners outlines that if users don’t agree to the new terms by May 15th, “for a short time, these users will be able to receive calls and notifications, but will not be able to read or send messages from the app.”
In the coming weeks, users will see a banner in the app that will provide more information about the changes, which WhatsApp says users “can read at their own pace.” Eventually, it’s going to start reminding users to review and accept the updates to keep using the app.
WhatsApp delayed the new privacy policy after it received backlash for the changes. The policy was originally supposed to go into effect on February 8th, and users would have had to agree to it in order to continue using the app.
Amid the controversy, rival apps Telegram and Signal have seen significant increases in downloads as WhatsApp users are looking to find alternatives.
WhatsApp has addressed this and noted that it has “seen some of our competitors try to get away with claiming they can’t see people’s messages, if an app doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption by default that means they can read your messages.”
“Other apps say they’re better because they know even less information than WhatsApp. We believe people are looking for apps to be both reliable and safe, even if that requires WhatsApp having some limited data.”
Under the new terms, Facebook and WhatsApp will share users’ payment and transaction data to help them offer enhanced targeted ads. The changes are part of Facebook’s plan to broaden its e-commerce services and to merge its messaging platforms.
Source: TechCrunch, WhatsApp
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