WhatsApp will basically stop working if you don't accept the new privacy policy

A reminder to all WhatsApp users: The company's updated privacy policy will officially go into effect in a few days. Users who don't agree to it will lose access to all the features that matter.

As per an FAQ page created by WhatsApp, those who don't accept the changes by May 15 will lose out on the following:

• "You won’t be able to access your chat list, but you can still answer incoming phone and video calls. If you have notifications enabled, you can tap on them to read or respond to a message or call back a missed phone or video call."

• "After a few weeks of limited functionality, you won’t be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone."

Until then, you can delete your account, download a report of it, and export your chat history. If you choose to keep your account after May 15, WhatsApp says it will send you a "persistent reminder" until you accept the new changes.

As for what this new policy entails, WhatsApp makes it clear in a blog post that "the recent terms and privacy policy update do not affect personal messages. The changes are related to optional business features on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data."

WhatsApp initially planned to implement these changes back in February, but after receiving backlash from users, the company extended the effective date.

"We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update. There's been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts," WhatsApp said in a blog post in January.

By pushing the date back to May, the company hoped to "give [users] enough time to review changes at [their] own pace and convenience," as stated on its FAQ page.

And, in order to help users wade through what it is they're agreeing to with the new policy, WhatsApp also detailed some of the things that are changing versus what's staying the same in another post.

With all the information the company has released surrounding the new changes, it's probably best for WhatsApp users to really take the time to carefully read through it all.

Let's just say, this probably isn't one of those "Terms of Service" agreements you quickly swipe through and accept just to get it out of the way.

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