You may lose access to some features.
Facebook has said that those who do not agree to its new privacy changes for WhatsApp will gradually see their WhatsApp accounts become restricted.
Initially, the company said last year there would be a no-nonsense approach to the changes and that users would have to accept them if they wanted to continue using their account. Or they could, as an alternative, delete their accounts.
This new statement basically says much of the same thing but in a softer tone.
As part of the new privacy changes, WhatsApp users' data can be accessed by Facebook, Facebook Payments, Onavo, Facebook Technologies and CrowdTangle.
WhatsApp said "no one will have their accounts deleted or lose functionality" because of the policy update, which comes into effect from 15 May.
However, in a statement WhatsApp said users who will not accept the privacy updates will gradually see their accounts' functionality restricted:
- 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.
- 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.
“We’ve spent the last several months providing more information about our update to users around the world,” the messaging platform said.
"Their accounts will not be deleted or lose functionality on May 15. We’ll continue to provide reminders to those users within WhatsApp in the weeks to come.
“In that time, the majority of people who have received it have accepted the update and WhatsApp continues to grow.
“However, for those that have not yet had a chance to do so, their accounts will not be deleted or lose functionality on 15 May. We’ll continue to provide reminders to those users within WhatsApp in the weeks to come.”
