WhatsApp won’t limit functionality over new privacy policy

WhatsApp earlier this month said that it won’t delete accounts if users fail to accept the new privacy policy. Instead, it would send constant reminders to users for several weeks, before restricting certain core functionalities in the app.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said in a statement to The Next Web:

“Given recent discussions with various authorities and privacy experts, we want to make clear that we currently have no plans to limit the functionality of how WhatsApp works for those who have not yet accepted the update”.

“Instead, we will continue to remind users from time to time about the update as well as when people choose to use relevant optional features, like communicating with a business that is receiving support from Facebook.”

WhatsApp privacy policy update

This follows after the Facebook-owned app has drawn criticism for the rollout of its privacy policy, which went into effect on 15 May 2021. The policy has undergone several revisions since it was first announced in December 2020, including a postponement in its rollout.

The chat platform used the extended period to educate users about the proposed changes and address misinformation around how privacy and security updates work. Users were then given time to review the policy at their own pace before its implementation on 15 May.

At the time, users were concerned about WhatsApp sharing personal information with Facebook. WhatsApp has, however, gone to great lengths to convince its users that the policy update only pertains to messages sent to businesses via WhatsApp, which may be stored on Facebook’s servers.

The WhatsApp developer team said in a statement earlier this year that they were still “committed to defending this security technology now and in the future”.

“[The] update includes new options people will have to message a business on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data”.