The time had come on May 15: If you would not agree to the new data protection guidelines by then, the operators of the messenger service had promised consequences. Users may not have responded to these warnings as expected. Because now WhatsApp is pushing the threatened functional restrictions further.
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More cooling off after May 15th
Users who have still not been able to make up their minds to give WhatsApp the desired consent can take their time. Unlike previously announced, their accounts will continue to function unchanged after May 15th. In a statement to the online magazine The Next Web, it says: The majority of users have meanwhile agreed to the new terms and conditions; but apparently others have not yet come to this. They want to remind them in the next few weeks with appropriate notice windows. Only then should there be restrictions, as described on the corresponding help page: The normal chat window of the app will then be permanently replaced by the reference to the new terms and conditions. This means that users no longer have access to their chat list and can neither send messages nor make calls on their own. However: Incoming texts and conversations are displayed and can be answered or accepted. If affected users have still not agreed to the guidelines after a few more weeks, the app will no longer deliver any messages or calls.
Second back down
The fact that WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook are again moving away from their ultimatum is generally viewed by observers as a defeat. Originally, the new rules on data protection should have come into force on February 8th. This was pointed out to users at the beginning of the year. If you do not agree to the terms and conditions in time, your account will be deleted without further ado. But even then there was protest. Instead of ensuring continued use of the app by ticking the box, several million people set up accounts with competitors such as Telegram, Signal or Threema within a few days. In view of this wave of churn, WhatsApp spoke of “confusion” and “misinformation” and postponed the deadline to May 15. Until then, they wanted to use an information campaign to make it clear that the new terms and conditions did not mean any disadvantages for privacy. There was no longer any question of deleting the accounts. But: Those who did not agree should only be able to use the app to a limited extent in mid-May.
Conclusion
Apparently, far fewer people have accepted the guidelines than WhatsApp expected. Instead of implementing the announced consequences, the deadline is allowed to pass once more. It remains to be seen whether the tactic will be successful this time or whether even more users will migrate to other messenger services.
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