WhatsApp was in the middle of a media firestorm in early January thanks to the announcement of a controversial change to their Data Sharing Policy. The company, which was acquired by Facebook back in 2014, is requiring users to accept the new terms to continue using the application. The app will now be sharing a slew of data including your phone contact lists, app logs, diagnostic data, and status messages with its parent company. WhatsApp did send a prompt to users to accept the changes to continue using the app, however, it seems like there is a vocal portion of their users who have opted to look at its competitors: Signal and Telegram.
With the deadline for users to accept the new agreement looming, the company has published a new FAQ regarding the issue. The effective date of the new agreement has been extended to May 15, 2021, from the initial February 8, 2021. They have also indicated what would happen if users are still reluctant to accept their new terms – and to be frank, they seem to be coercing users into the new terms.
If you still don’t accept the new policy, you’ll essentially lose access to your messages and data in the app. The new FAQ states that WhatsApp will not delete your account. Instead, it will limit the capabilities of the application. In fact, you’ll be relegated to calls and notifications “for a short time”. The company hasn’t clarified what it means by “a short time” but during this period, users will not be able to access any of their messages.
While this is a less than ideal way of handling their faux pax, the company seems adamant to lose its user base and continue on with its plans to adopt the new changes. We even had Acronis’ Chief Information Security Officer, Kevin Reed weigh in on the issue in our Tech & Tonic Podcast. In the immediate fallout from the abrupt and poorly managed announcement, users have been flocking to other competitors with Telegram and Signal in the forefront.
