WhatsApp suffered intense setbacks earlier this year after updating its privacy policy over sharing data with Facebook, which actually asks users to accept it and continue to use the service, or to lose their account by rejecting the changes. After widespread criticism and debates over privacy issues, the company pushed the implementation of its new policy until May 15 and has since tried to inform and convince users about the changes. WhatsApp has now explained what happens to your account if you do not accept the updated privacy policy after the May 15 deadline.
If you do not press the ‘Accept’ button in time …
You can not send messages or read incoming texts
If you do not accept the new privacy policy after May 15, you will lose the most important features. Which exactly? “For a short time, you will be able to receive calls and notifications, but you will not be able to read or send messages from the app,” says the company on a new FAQ page titled What happens on the entry date?
You are losing key features and removing the risk account
As for the ‘short time’ in WhatsApp’s ominous announcement, it’s going to take a few weeks (via TechCrunch). WhatsApp has reportedly started sending a communication with the above changes to its trading partners, which are apparently business accounts that use the platform for trading and pay a fee in exchange for the Facebook-owned company.
What are your options?
So you have two options:
- You acknowledge and agree to the new Privacy Policy.
- Download your chat history and delete your WhatsApp account.
You will still be able to accept the policy change after the deadline of 15 May
Now WhatsApp says that after May 15, you will still be able to accept its new privacy policy and use the app again with full functionality. Once the deadline has been reached and you have not yet pressed the ‘ACCEPT’ button, your account will be classified as inactive. And inactive accounts are automatically deleted after 120 days. Here’s what WhatsApp classifies as inactivity on its official questions page:
| An internet connection is required for an account to be active. If a user has WhatsApp open on their device but does not have an internet connection, the account will be inactive. |
So you actually have 120 days to review and accept (or reject) WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy. However, every day after 15 May you will have to live with limited functionality (read: not being able to send or read messages) if you have not accepted the new rules.
What if you delete your WhatsApp account?
Or you can download your chat history and say goodbye to WhatsApp. However, the company says that if you delete your account, you will be kicked out of all groups, and all your chat history and backups will be permanently deleted. “It’s something we can not reverse,” WhatsApp says.
Alternatively, you can migrate your WhatsApp data to Telegram which offers the latter. You can move your WhatsApp chat – including media and documents – from personal as well as group chats with a new chat output feature in Telegram.
