Hi friends, WhatsApp says it will give users more time to agree to its controversial new privacy policy, citing mass “confusion” and “misinformation” about the update. The Facebook-owned messaging app now says that it will allow users to “review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15,” and that it won’t be cutting off anyone’s service on February 8.
“We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update,” the company wrote in an update. “There’s been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts.” The company said it remains committed to end-to-end encryption and that “this update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook.”
WhatsApp’s decision to delay the new policy comes after the company abruptly introduced privacy changes earlier this month with a pop-up warning that users could accept the new policy by Feb. 8, or lose their ability to use the app altogether. The new terms address the company’s recent focus on business messaging, a feature that’s widely used in many places outside the US. But the warning alarmed many users, who interpreted the changes as Facebook tightening its grip over their data.
Now, WhatsApp is walking back some of its previous messaging. “We’re now moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms,” the company says. “No one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8. We’ll then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15.”
