Google Seeks Delay on Data-Sharing Order as It Appeals Landmark Antitrust Ruling 
China’s AI Models Narrow the Gap With the West, Says Google DeepMind CEO 
TSMC Set to Post Record Q4 Profit as AI Chip Demand Accelerates 
U.S.–Taiwan Trade Deal Spurs $500 Billion Semiconductor Investment in America 
U.S. Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over Trump Approval of Nvidia AI Chip Sales to China 
Trump Administration Approves Nvidia H200 AI Chip Sales to China Under New Export Rules 
Publishers Seek to Join Lawsuit Against Google Over Alleged AI Copyright Infringement 
China Halts Shipments of Nvidia H200 AI Chips, Forcing Suppliers to Pause Production 
SK Hynix to Invest $13 Billion in Advanced Chip Packaging Plant as AI Memory Demand Surges 
Elon Musk Seeks $134 Billion in Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Wrongful Gains 
AFT Leaves X Over AI-Generated Images of Minors 
Starlink Internet Remains Active in Iran Despite Nationwide Blackout 
Micron to Buy Powerchip Fab for $1.8 Billion, Shares Surge Nearly 10% 
Microsoft Strikes Landmark Soil Carbon Credit Deal With Indigo Carbon to Boost Carbon-Negative Goal 
TikTok Expands AI Age-Detection Technology Across Europe Amid Rising Regulatory Pressure 
WhatsApp has once again changed its plans on dealing with users who still refuse to accept its new privacy policy implemented earlier this month. The Facebook-owned messaging app now says it does not plan on limiting functionality after discussions with authorities and experts.
The company previously said WhatsApp users who fail to accept its new privacy policy would eventually have limited access to the app’s features. However, significant changes were recently spotted in the app’s guidelines after the new privacy policy took effect last May 15.
Now, under the “What happens after the effect date?” section, the WhatsApp support page says, “We currently have no plans for these reminders to become persistent and to limit the functionality of the app.” This is about the third time WhatsApp changed its course of actions concerning the May 15 update.
In February, the company warned users who will not agree to the new rules would soon lose access to the app’s features. Earlier this month, WhatsApp changed its guidelines to say the reminder to accept the new policy would be more persistent for a few weeks after May 15.
After the “persistent reminder,” users would get “limited functionality” that would have entailed losing access to the chat list. Replying to messages and answering calls would have been only available via the notification panel. The full changes can be compared through an Internet Archive version of the WhatsApp support page, as first reported by Tom’s Guide.
“Given recent discussions with various authorities and privacy experts, we want to make clear that we currently have no plans to limit the functionality of how WhatsApp works for those who have not yet accepted the update,” WhatsApp told The Next Web. But given how the guidelines have changed over the previous months, it would not be surprising if the messaging app later changes its approach to users who do not like the new policy.
Germany’s Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (HmbBfDI) was one of the government agencies that blocked WhatsApp’s May 15 update. In its official ruling, the commission notably said, “Consent is not freely given, since WhatsApp demands acceptance of the new provisions as a condition for the continued use of the service's functionalities.”
In the current version of the post-May 15 guidelines, WhatsApp reiterates it does not intend to delete accounts of users who have yet to agree to the new policy. However, the page still includes a reminder about WhatsApp’s separate policy on inactive users that states, “Accounts are generally deleted after 120 days of inactivity.”
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
