WhatsApp: From today, partial access unless you accept the new privacy terms

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WhatsApp accounts are not being inactivated from today (May 15, 2021) but gradually one will not be able to access all the features if one does not accept the new privacy policy which comes into effect from today.

Last week, WhatsApp said users could have access to limited features on the app after a few weeks if they do not accept the policy, and gradually they would not be able to receive calls or notifications.

New Privacy Policy

WhatsApp explained that the new privacy policy was necessary because it has to share some information with the parent company (Facebook) to implement the e-commerce features in the app.

They are planning it for adding teeth to the business accounts in Facebook. The company said that it was only for the benefit of users. No private data, or chat, will be accessed by WhatsApp or Facebook, the company said.

It argued that the changes in data sharing with Facebook enabled by the new privacy policy only pertained to business accounts, and to none else.

However, most users were not convinced with the version. They thought that Whatsapp was going to share more data with Facebook and some other companies that break the privacy chan of the users.

Limited Access

The company said users will get limited access on WhatsApp until they accept the updates. Users had to agree to the policy before the May 15 deadline.

In a recent release, WhatsApp had said that one won’t be able to access the full chat list but can still answer the incoming phone calls and video calls. But after a few weeks even this limited functionality will be denied.

But the company has not put any deadline for this until May 14 evening.

Expert take

“The recent changes are clearly an attempt to access the private data of users without giving them a choice, not only your private date even your transaction will also be public. This is a wakeup call for the government to come up with a framework to regulate intermediaries and have a dedicated data privacy law. There is an IT law but Facebook is not giving any importance to it. This is criminal offence. They are treating us like guinea pigs,” cyber law expert Pavan Duggal told Money9.

“Today is the last day, but the government needs to address this issue more proactively. Facebook is targeting the Indian market since this is the largest in the world. Our government should focus on this issue and make a strict law on the lines of what Germany has done already. Otherwise at least 50% of the data of Indian user will become vulnerable,”  said Bivas Chatterjee, a renowned cyber law expert.

Background

In January this year, WhatsApp introduced the new privacy policy, asking users to share their data with third parties, especially on users’ chats with business accounts on the platform.

But a huge controversy ensued.

The Battle

In a statement last Friday (May 7), WhatsApp said that a majority of users have already accepted the new terms. It would continue to send reminders to those who have not.

In March this year, the Competition Commission of India ordered a probe against WhatsApp over the new privacy policy update. The messaging app also moved to Delhi high court over CCI order and the hearing is pending.

WhatsApp’s user base in India is around 53 crore, the highest is the world.

Experts like Duggal and Chatterjee both advised users to switch to other platforms such as Telegram.