WhatsApp confirmed in January that its updated privacy policy will go into effect starting May 15. With only a few months left, the company says its users will lose access to all the features that matter if they don’t agree to it.
In an email obtained by TechCrunch, originally sent to one of WhatsApp’s merchant partners, WhatsApp stated that those who don’t accept the changes by May 15 will “not be able to read or send messages from the app,” but “for a short time, these users will be able to receive calls and notifications.”
TechCrunch notes that a “short time” will stretch across a few weeks, but that feature, too, will eventually go away. You can still accept the policy after the deadline, of course.
The email also included a link to an FAQ page created by WhatsApp, running through the aforementioned details as well as options for those who don’t want to accept the new privacy policy. Prior to May 15, you can delete your account, download a report of it, and export your chat history.
As for what this new policy entails, WhatsApp makes it clear in a blog post that “the recent terms and privacy policy update do not affect personal messages. The changes are related to optional business features on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.”
WhatsApp initially planned to implement these changes on Feb. 8, but after receiving backlash from users, the company extended the effective date.
“We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update. There’s been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts,” WhatsApp said in a blog post last month.
By pushing the date back to May, the company hopes to “give [users] enough time to review changes at [their] own pace and convenience,” as stated on its FAQ page.
And, in order to help users wade through what it is they’re agreeing to with the new policy, WhatsApp also detailed some of the things that are changing versus what’s staying the same in another post.
With all the information the company has released surrounding the new changes, it’s probably best for WhatsApp users to really take the time between now and May to carefully read through it all.
Let’s just say, this probably isn’t one of those “Terms of Service” agreements you quickly swipe through and accept just to get it out of the way.