Whatsapp users may have no choice but to accept the company’s proposed privacy policies, otherwise it will be very difficult to keep using the app. The company announced on its Whatsapp page that it will send reminders to users and failure to accept the policies will result in the limited functionality on the app.
“After giving everyone time to review, we’re continuing to remind those who haven’t had the chance to do so to review and accept. After a period of several weeks, the reminder people receive will eventually become persistent.” the blog read.
Whatsapp goes on to say that the limited functionality will persist until you accept the policies.
“You won’t be able to access your chat list, but you can still answer incoming phone and video calls. If you have notifications enabled, you can tap on them to read or respond to a message or call back a missed phone or video call.”
Read: Telegram Users Spike Following Whatsapp Data Sharing Update
The support blog then says the situation will get worse.
“After a few weeks of limited functionality, you won’t be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone.”
In simple terms, if you do not accept the policy, you will no longer be able to use Whatsapp.
Whatsapp’s plan to update the privacy policy has been the subject of a majority of trends on social media since the beginning of the year. The app’s users were updated through a pop-up of Whatsapp’s intention to share data with Facebook.
The notification asked users to either agree with the new terms or delete their accounts. In what seems like a miscalculation on the company’s part, many users decided to delete their accounts and move to competitors, Telegram and Signal.
Read also: A Petitioner in India Challenges Whatsapp’s New Terms at the High Court
According to the popular messaging app, a lot of businesses and consumers are using Whatsapp to shop. As a result, the company has been focused on developing the right messaging tools for businesses.
The company clarified that the updated privacy policy was intended to let users know that those (business) messages, would be stored on Facebook-owned servers. Facebook however says that it has no intention of using or accessing the messages for any type of ad targeting.
In the latest blog post, Whatsapp assures users that their accounts will not be deleted if they do not accept the policy. However, the only function you will be left with is the ability to download and export your chat history. If you still choose not to do so, a different policy on Whatsapp will make your account eligible for deletion after 120 days of inactivity.
In other words, accept the policy or lose your Whatsapp account!
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