WhatsApp’s controversial privacy policy update has been circling the internet for a while now, and we think it’s safe to say that not many people (save for the Zuck himself) are happy with it. The conflict has resulted in a couple of things, including a mass exodus of users flocking to less privacy-scrapey platforms like Telegram.
WhatsApp giveth and taketh away
In response, WhatsApp’s been playing a game of chicken with its remaining users who have yet to accept the policy. At first the social media behemoth sternly warned that users unwilling to bend a knee would be booted off the platform entirely. Then, in response to user and even governmental pressure, WhatsApp revised its approach and said that you would begin losing key app features over the course of several weeks if you didn’t accept the policy. Now, the Facebook subsidiary has backtracked further, saying that features won’t be taken away if you don’t play ball… for now.
According to The Next Web, WhatsApp has issued a statement explaining its change of heart.
“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. Instead, we will continue to remind users from time to time about the update as well as when people choose to use relevant optional features, like communicating with a business that is receiving support from Facebook.”
Effectively, instead of playing hardball like it has been threatening to for some time now, WhatsApp will lightly tap you on the shoulder whenever it wants to remind you that it’s got some new terms it wants you to agree to. But it is clear now that the company is filled to the brim with mostly empty threats.