WhatsApp will stop being functional if you don’t accept the new privacy policy

Months ago we got the news that WhatsApp was changing its policies, in which they were specifying that the app was going to share data with Facebook to improve certain business features. If people didn’t accept these policies, the account was cancelled. However, no matter how they explained, people rejected it. Millions of people jumped to other platforms like Telegram and Signal, and social media exploded with millions of comments about it. Due to this, the company decided to hold back the policy, revisited, and launch it again later this year.

So, the new policy is out in May 15, which is now. And we can see that the company gave it some thought and decide that they weren’t cancelling accounts if people didn’t accept, however, the account will stop being functional progressively until it doesn’t work anymore. Exactly how this will work? And what will happen if I accept or not the policy? Let’s take a closer look to all the details.

WhatsApp really wants you to accept the new policy

We have the confirmation now that the company won’t delete any account if they don’t accept the new policy, which is a good thing. However, they really want you to accept it, and to make sure it happens, they will every so often will show you the new policy again and again until you say yes. So, if at the beginning you say no, you will find yourself receiving over and over the same policy to see if you changed your mind.

If this doesn’t work, there is a programmed modification of the functionality of the app. So, if you say no at the beginning, eventually your account will start to change. For example, the first phase seems to be that you won’t be able to access to your contact list. You still will be able to get messages, reply, make calls and receive them, but you won’t see your contact list. If you need to text someone new, then you can’t because you don’t have available your contacts.

If by this point you still say no to the new policy, then it comes the second phase. This second part will be the limitation of certain functions, like not being able to receive calls or to get notifications. Eventually, it seems that they will even limit the sending messages at all, so the app will be completely dead. Of course, all of this can be changed if you accept the new policy.

Seems that these changes will happen at different times for everybody, but that is the new protocol. In sight of that, a lot of people already opened alternative account on platforms like Telegram or Signal that offer encrypted messages and protection to your information. So, there is two ways for this scenario, there is a chance that a lot of people accept the conditions, and there is a chance that millions leave the app forever.