The Facebook-owned messaging app plans to re-introduce the updated privacy policy that incited a massive backlash against Facebook-owned messaging app.
The social media company said it will inform users of the new privacy policy next week and provide more information about the change before requiring users to agree to the new terms.
“In the coming weeks, we’ll display a banner in WhatsApp providing more information that people can read at their own pace,” WhatsApp writes in a blog post. “We’ve also included more information to try and address concerns we’re hearing. Eventually, we’ll start reminding people to review and accept these updates to keep using WhatsApp.”
The updated privacy policy is the same one the company introduced last month, a rollout it later deferred amid a growing backlash. The social media company spokesperson affirmed that users will have to agree to the new terms by May 15, when the new policy becomes effective.
The updated privacy focus on Facebooks recent push into commerce. For WhatsApp, this mean an expansion of the app’s business messaging tools and the addition of new shopping features within the app. The new times more explicitly address the role Facebook plays in enabling these interactions.
But the fact that WhatsApp sprung the change on its users without warning, turned out to be a perfect recipe for misinformation and confusion.
Many users interpreted the new update as WhatsApp strong-arming users into sharing more data with Facebook without the possibility of an opt-out.