Users will have until May 15 to accept WhatsApp’s new terms and conditions. After that, they will no longer be able to read or send new messages.
In early January, WhatsApp users were notified that they would have to accept new terms to continue using the app. From February 8, the messaging service, a Facebook subsidiary, would share more data with the parent company, at least for users outside the EU.
The announcement drew strong criticism from the company, including privacy activists, and the deadline was postponed. The company now says in a new post that doubting users will get until May 15.
Anyone who has not consented by then is seen as an inactive account, WhatsApp said in a blog post.
Inactive accounts will no longer be able to send messages and will be deleted after four months. They can still see notifications and make calls. Once they accept the conditions, everything will generally work again.
The new terms mainly concern the processing of user data and how companies can use Facebook services to manage their WhatsApp chats. They do not apply to EU citizens because privacy legislation prohibits this type of data bundling here.