WhatsApp could stop working for you on May 15; Find out why

WhatsApp is now ready to implement the new terms and conditions and anyone not accepting them by the May 15 deadline

GUWAHATI: WhatsApp is now ready to implement the new terms and conditions and anyone not accepting them by the May 15 deadline will not be able to use the app any longer. Ouch!

WhatsApp’s new privacy policy faced much backlash earlier for alleged clauses that hinted at a wider data sharing with Facebook.

So what happens to those who will not accept the policy till the aforementioned date?

Well, WhatsApp will not delete the accounts of those not accepting the new privacy policy.

Instead, the WhatsApp accounts will be inactive and the users will not be able to send or receive messages through the service. 'Inactive accounts' can be deleted by WhatsApp after 120 days.

For a few weeks after the account is inactive, calls and notifications might still function. Messaging however, will not be possible.

The new privacy policy was delayed for months after it was contested globally by its users. The users reacted by switching to other messaging services in search of a greater data privacy.

Reacting to the backlash, WhatsApp said that the updated policy is meant to help it be a payment gateway for businesses.

It also said that it has no way of knowing the content of the encrypted messages sent through the platform and hence cannot share any such data with anyone.

As for the other user data, WhatsApp’s policy released on January 4 stated that the company could share some of its data with its parent firm and its other subsidiaries. This data includes the user's IP address among several other data points.

Edited By: Rana Pratap Saikia

Published On: Feb 25, 2021