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- WhatsApp again asks users to sign their new privacy policy before May 15.
- Users who do not meet the deadline will not be able to send texts or make calls, according to an email seen by TechCrunch.
- WhatsApp tried to get users to sign the new policy in January, but it caused a privacy scare.
- Visit Business Insider South Africa for more stories.
WhatsApp is once again trying to get its users to sign its new privacy policy, this time without causing a privacy scare.
WhatsApp announced Thursday that it would slowly ask users to agree to its new privacy policy, which in January caused a privacy scare and sent users to rival messaging apps Signal and Telegram.
Users have until May 15 to sign the new privacy policy. TechCrunch reported that if they lose it, some central parts of the WhatsApp application will be unusable.
In an email to one of its business partners and obtained by TechCrunch, WhatsApp said that if users do not agree to the new terms and conditions before May 15, then: “For a short time, these users will be able to receive calls and notifications, but you won’t be able to read or send messages from the app. ”
WhatsApp confirmed this to be the case and directed Insider to an FAQ page that detailed the process.
According to TechCrunch, this “short time” will last a few weeks. It is not entirely clear what will happen to users after this time has elapsed, but the FAQ page states that WhatsApp’s policy for “inactive users” will apply after May 15.
WhatsApp’s policy on inactive accounts is that “they are generally deleted after 120 days of inactivity.”
This time around, WhatsApp is taking a gentler approach to asking users to sign off on its new policy, which only materially affects data in messages that are sent to business accounts.
The messaging app will explain the update via an in-app banner, leading users to a full explanation of the changes. This is in contrast to the January pop-up notification, which appeared to offer users an ultimatum to comply with the new policy or lose access to the app.
Its original deadline was February 8, but it was extended until May 15, following user reaction.
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