This May, WhatsApp will introduce a new privacy policy. If a user rejects their terms of service, the company will turn off functionality. WhatsApp users will be unable to send and receive messages. Any account will be considered “inactive” if a user does not accept the company’s new terms by May 15. Owned by Facebook, WhatsApp first announced the policy in January. Initially, the company faced a backlash with the news because many users felt like their private, WhatsApp data would be shared with Facebook. However, WhatsApp has clarified that the privacy update is strictly related to making payments and purchases from businesses possible.
WhatsApp users who don’t agree with the new policy are already joining other platforms. Since news of the update, encrypted services like Signal and Telegram have experienced more demand. TechCrunch has a really dope breakdown of everything here.