WhatsApp Will Limit Usability If A User Does Not Accept Its Privacy Changes

Things did not go well for WhatsApp when it introduced its new terms and conditions for its privacy policy back in January. Specifically, the Facebook-owned messaging app required users to agree with the changes, therefore allowing it to share certain data with its parent company. Due to a huge backlash from users regarding the announcement, WhatsApp has decided to delay the changes to 15 May.

So what will happen if you decided not to agree with the new policy by then?

The messaging app has recently updated the security and privacy page on its website explaining the effects that will be put in place, should users refuse to accept the changes. According to WhatsApp, you’ll still be able to receive calls and notifications for a couple of weeks after implementation. However, it also noted that you won’t be able to read or send messages, and make any form of calls to your contacts – therefore rendering the app to be as useful as a mesh face mask during a pandemic.

WhatsApp did not go into detail on what would happen after prolonged refusal of accepting the new terms. It is possible that the service will continue to maintain the restrictions until users finally decide to give in. That is, provided that they’ve not already jumped to other messaging platforms that are welcoming an exodus of new users after the initial backlash.

There have been some speculations suggesting that the service will delete a user’s account due to inactivity caused by the restrictions. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case as Whatsapp will only wipe accounts that are not connected to the internet after 120 days, according to its website. So if you’re still acknowledging notifications and answering calls from the app, it would still count as to being active. Of course, this may change if the service decides to impose even more restrictions in the long run.

The service also pointed out that you can still export your chat history on Android or iPhone, and down a report of your account before 15 May. Whether this ability will be taken away from the user after the date of implementation was not specified, so it’s best to take note of this just in case. Furthermore, it is also asking users to reconsider deleting their WhatsApp accounts, saying that the move is irreversible and will forever erase all message history and backups on Google Drive and iCloud.

WhatsApp also recently added a new FAQ page on its website to further explain its new privacy policy, in an attempt to persuade users into accepting the changes. The service ensured that WhatsApp and Facebook will not have the ability to access or keep logs of your personal messages or calls after the implementation – the same applies to in-app chat groups as well. It added that location sharing is only kept between the user and their contacts, and by providing the service permission will only allow it access to phone numbers from your contact list in order to “make messaging fast and reliable.”

The service continued to emphasise throughout the FAQ that it does not share a user’s personal information with Facebook for ads purposes. However, it did note earlier in January that sharing of data only applies when a user interacts with a business on its platform, specifically those that use Facebook’s hosting services.

Whether you choose to accept the new changes or not remains entirely up to you. Usually the downside of leaving the platform is that you’d lose all of your chat and call history. But this is no longer the case as both Signal and Telegram now let users transfer their WhatsApp chats over in just a few steps, therefore enabling them to continue where they left off.

So what are you planning to do once the new privacy changes are implemented later in May? Will you accept the new policy and continue using Whatsapp, delay a while more just to see what would happen, or have you already switched over to the other messaging platforms? Let us know in the comments.

10KM Radius Travel Limit To Be Lifted Soon; Interstate and Interdistrict Movements Still Prohibited

The Senior Minister for Security Cluster, Ismail Sabri Yaakob earlier today announced that the government will be lifting the 10KM radius travel limit that has been imposed throughout the country as part of the Movement Control Order (MCO) 2.0. However, members of the public are still prohibited from travelling between districts and states.

This restriction applies nationwide regardless of the MCO, Conditional MCO (CMCO), or Recovery MCO (RMCO) zones. Speaking about zones, the government has also decided to extend the MCO period for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, and Penang to 4 March 2021 instead of ending it on 18 February as per the original plan.

On another hand, Kedah, Perak, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Putrajaya, Labuan, and Sabah will be designated as CMCO zones starting from 19 February until 4 March 2021. The government will also re-categorise Perlis as an RMCO zone within the same period as well and for Sarawak, the state is already a CMCO zone although its Disaster Management Committee is currently planning to end it on 1 March.

Even though members of the public are still not allowed to move between districts and states, the government will be easing some of the other restrictions in all CMCO and RMCO zones. For example, spa and reflexology centres will be allowed to operate once again while economic sectors will also be allowed to operate until midnight instead of just 10 PM.

Meetings, workshops, and seminars, as well as social gatherings including weddings and birthdays, will be allowed too although the attendance must be limited to half of the venue’s capacity. Other than that, the maximum number of passengers inside vehicles within CMCO and RMCO zones will be according to their respective capacities.

Dine-in customers will also no longer be restricted to just two individuals per table as long as they sit one metre apart from each other. Minister Ismail pointed out that these are just a fraction of the full SOP list which will be published on the National Security Council (MKN) website later this week.