WhatsApp has been facing criticism from tech enthusiasts and users following the announcement of its latest privacy policy. The company believes that all this happened due to misinformation so it has delayed its implementation. Instead, the messaging platform is more focused on explaining the terms of the new policy to the users. In the latest move, WhatsApp has started displaying an in-app banner that users can read at their own convenience to know about the upcoming policy changes.
WhatsApp In-App Banner for Policy Change Review
The announcement about the in-app banner was made via an official blog post. It is part of an updated plan which the app will use to ask users to review the upcoming changes. The company believes that it will help users clear up any confusion that has risen since the introduction of the new terms of service and privacy policy. Prior to this, the company has experimented with using Status and sending full-size notifications to inform users about the policy change.
The banner will appear on the homepage of the app directly above the messages. If you want more information about the new update, you can simply tap on the “Tap to Review” option. This will take you to a new page where WhatsApp discusses the changes that the new policy will bring. If you are convinced, you can click on continue from where you will be taken to another page. Here, you can accept the upcoming changes by hitting Accept.
You will have to make the decision by May 15. Otherwise, you may lose access to the app. However, that won’t happen instantly. Users will be able to receive calls and notifications for short time past May 15. Yet, you will have to accept the policy in order to read and reply to these messages.
WhatsApp defends its latest privacy policy
WhatsApp is still stressing that it uses end-to-end encryption for private messages. It claims that no one will be able to see and read these messages. Here, the company is defending itself from the recent allegations that the new privacy policy will allow WhatsApp to share your private data directly with its parent company Facebook.
WhatsApp has also clarified that it doesn’t even keep logs of your messages, calls, and shared locations. It claims that the new policy will only change the way users interact with businesses via the app.
Also, the blog states that the “limited data” that WhatsApp collects from its users help the platform to be safer and more reliable.
“We believe people are looking for apps to be both reliable and safe, even if that requires WhatsApp having some limited data.”
The blog says that the company will continue to develop new ways of meeting responsibilities with less information.
- Check out our take on WhatsApp’s latest privacy policy [Nepali].
