WhatsApp confirmed that users will not be able to read or send messages unless they agree to the rules for sharing personal data with Facebook. The new T&C sparked reactions and led to an increase in the popularity of rival apps.
On Sunday, the company shared details of how the new terms of service will affect its users with the tech news site TechCrunch. The comment came after the agency quoted an email sent by WhatsApp to one of its business partners.
Last month, WhatsApp asked users to agree to an update that will allow the messenger to share personal data, such as phone number and location, with Facebook, the owner of the app.
WhatsApp will start to “Ask slowly” users to sign the new terms to have “Full functionality” of the messenger, if you have not done so, before 15 May. If users still do not accept the terms, for “shortly” they will be able to receive calls and notifications, but will not be able to read or send messages. It is “short time” it will last a few weeks, said TechCrunch. The planned update immediately arouses turmoil and privacy concerns. The reaction prompted the company to postpone the deadline for moving from February 8 to May 15.
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A petition was filed with a court in Delhi in India, WhatsApp’s largest market, alleging that the messenger’s new terms of service violate the right to privacy and pose a threat to national security. Earlier this month, the court asked the company to respond to those claims.
The controversy led some to switch to WhatsApp competitors, Telegram and Signal, with the latter being pressured by Elon Musk. Both services have seen an increase in downloads in recent weeks.
WhatsApp wrote on its corporate blog on Thursday that users’ private messages will remain protected. “We will always protect your personal conversations with end-to-end encryption, so that neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see these private messages,” said the company.
He added that the update will allow users to chat with companies or make purchases online, and this function will be “Totally optional.”
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