Facebook has confirmed what will happen to users who don’t accept its new WhatsApp privacy policy. Starting on 15 May 2021, user’s app functionality will become more limited to the point where they will no longer be able to send and receive messages. Facebook says that users will still be able to receive calls and notifications but this will only be possible for a short time.
The company claims that a user who does not accept the new WhatsApp privacy policy will be deemed as “inactive”. Inactive accounts can be deleted within 120 days of that date.
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In short, you have 120 days after 15 May 2021 to accept the new WhatsApp privacy policy else the company can delete your account. This makes it 12 September this year. Those of you who are moving to another chat app due to this new controversial change in terms are at risk of this account deletion should you stay on those apps without accepting the WhatsApp privacy policy.
To maintain security, limit data retention, and protect the privacy of our users, WhatsApp accounts are generally deleted after 120 days of inactivity. Inactivity means the user hasn’t connected to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has been making waves recently due to its new forced policy. Many users worry about their privacy being invaded as the new terms state that WhatsApp can share your private messages in certain circumstances. This is specifically related to conversations with businesses and brands. However, messages between one user to another are remaining end-to-end encrypted.
The messages which are shared can be stored on the Facebook servers and used for data such as advertising. This is most likely the biggest change in the policy to date.
WhatsApp Privacy Policy Delayed
The new WhatsApp privacy policy was recently delayed. It was meant to roll out on the 8th of February 2021 but due to the backlash, the company delayed the release in order to inform more users about the changes. One example of this is a new banner inside the app that explains the changes to the policy. However, many users will simply close it without reading the important information it holds.
WhatsApp says that it won’t delete any accounts that have not accepted the new privacy policy on 15 May but users who don’t accept the terms will have limited app features and could face account deletion. We have recently covered the new WhatsApp privacy policy in detail including what it means for you and your data. You can read the full report here.
The official WhatsApp site explains exactly what will happen after the effective date:
To give you enough time to review changes at your own pace and convenience, we’ve extended the effective date to May 15th. If you haven’t accepted by then, WhatsApp will not delete your account. However, you won’t have full functionality of WhatsApp until you accept. For a short time, you’ll be able to receive calls and notifications, but won’t be able to read or send messages from the app.
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You can still accept the updates after May 15th.
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Before May 15th, you can export your chat history on Android or iPhone, and download a report of your account. If you’d like to delete your account on Android, iPhone, or KaiOS, we hope you reconsider. It is something we cannot reverse as it erases your message history, removes you from all of your WhatsApp groups, and deletes your WhatsApp backups.
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If you need any help downloading a report of your account or deleting your account, you can contact us here. Separately, our policy related to inactive users will apply.
Source: WhatsApp
