Anyone who does not accept the new WhatsApp terms and conditions will be muted
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Totally or not at all: WhatsApp asks you to agree to the new terms of use, otherwise there is a risk of mute and even your account being blocked.
On March 15th, new WhatsApp Terms of Use and Privacy Policy will come into effect. As TECHNOLOGY BUTTON has already reported, the company uses a banner in the app to indicate the new date. Originally, the provisions were supposed to apply at the beginning of February. Due to the ambiguous wording, which led to a massive user switch to other messengers, WhatsApp suspended the changes for the time being.
Also read: WhatsApp alternatives: secure messengers for iOS, Android, PC and Mac
WhatsApp asks you to accept the new terms and conditions
Via the banner in the app, users get a two-sided information overview. In it, the company explains which changes will be made – and which will not. In general, nothing changes in the chats among normal users. Messages remain end-to-end encrypted, which means WhatsApp and Facebook cannot read the content.
What is changing is the communication between private users and companies. With WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp has been offering a platform for a long time to get in direct contact with customers. For example, to inform about the status of a delivery or changes to a flight plan. However, due to the new data protection regulations, communications are not encrypted. The content can thus be evaluated with Facebook tools for advertising purposes. However, communication with companies is clearly marked as such and is completely optional
Users must accept the new WhatsApp terms and conditions by mid-March. If you don’t, the company will severely limit the functionality of the messenger. This is indicated in the WhatsApp FAQ :
“You will then no longer have the full functionality of WhatsApp until you have given your consent. You will receive calls and notifications for a short time, but you will not be able to read or send messages in the app. “
WhatsApp FAQ, as of February 22, 2021
Also read: WhatsApp scandal! How easily anyone can keep track of your activities
What happens if you permanently refuse to accept the terms and conditions?
Unfortunately, it is not clear from the FAQ what the term “for a short time” means. TECHNOLOGY BUTTON asked WhatsApp what the exact consequences of refusing the new provisions would be. However, we could not be given an exact answer. However, we have found out that the WhatsApp account will remain accessible for a while so that users can still agree to the conditions after March 15. We were also not told how long this option will be available.
It is clear that users who do not accept the WhatsApp terms and conditions are considered inactive. In this case, the company’s deletion policy applies, which is also recorded in the FAQ . Inactive accounts fall victim to deletion after 120 days. After that, WhatsApp data will still be stored on the smartphone, but you will no longer have access to it – unless you log in again and agree to the terms of use.
If you don’t want to accept the WhatsApp terms and conditions and are attached to the data, you should export the chat history and save pictures and videos. Because after the 120-day period has expired, you lose access to the app and thus also to the data.
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