WhatsApp’s deadline to accept its new privacy policy is today. Users that fail to accept this new privacy policy will slowly start losing functionality on their WhatsApp.

When WhatsApp first announced this new privacy policy, the platform was met with a lot of backlashes as people moved to alternative messaging apps like Signal and Telegram. This move caused the alternative messaging apps to experience a surge in downloads.

The new privacy policy states that WhatsApp will now share its users’ personal information, including phone numbers, IP addresses, contacts, and more with Facebook from May 15, 2021.

What happens if you do not accept WhatsApp’s new privacy policy?

If you do not accept WhatsApp’s new privacy policy, you will be constantly reminded to accept the new policy and if you still choose not to accept it, WhatsApp will start reducing features available to you. Subsequently, 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.

According to an FAQ on WhatsApp, “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. In other words, your WhatsApp account will become completely useless.”

WhatsApp also noted that it would not delete accounts of users who do not accept the new privacy policy.

In case you missed it

• WhatsApp announced earlier this year that it will start sharing users’ personal information with Facebook from February 8 but later changed the date to May 15, 2021.
• In an effort to maintain its users’ trust globally, WhatsApp shared its updated plans and asked users to review and accept its updated terms and privacy policy.