Three more months. WhatsApp users have more time to consider if they are prepared to accept the messaging platform’s new terms and conditions.
This follows a backlash that has resulted in millions migrating to alternatives such as Signal and Telegram.
The pushback from February 8 to May 15 will give WhatsApp more time to manage what is possibly its biggest crisis to date.
“We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update. There’s been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts,” said WhatsApp in a blog post.
It wanted to assure users that personal conversations remain confidential and neither WhatsApp nor Facebook can see users’s shared location or contacts.
“With these updates, none of that is changing. Instead, the update includes new options people will have to message a business on WhatsApp, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data. While not everyone shops with a business on WhatsApp today, we think that more people will choose to do so in the future and it’s important people are aware of these services. This update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook,” it said.
While the move will buy the company some time, it may be a case of too little too late to reach out to those who have already made the switch to other platforms.
Entelechy Asia 