WhatsApp backtracks on app limitations if you refuse new privacy terms

WhatsApp has reversed course on its decision to limit app functionality for users who do not agree with policy changes that have caused controversy in recent months.  The new terms were first due to roll out in February and were then pushed back to a May 15 deadline amidst concerns that Facebook would be given access to user data and potentially chat content, and thereby erode the privacy that WhatsApp was originally created for. WhatsApp, acquired by Facebook in 2014, said the new privacy policy will change how the Facebook and WhatsApp applications function, and “integrations” would be offered for businesses that want to manage WhatsApp chats with customers via the Facebook platform.  However, the changes did not prove popular — nor WhatsApp’s ‘take it or leave it’ approach to users, who were told to expect limited app functionality if they did not agree to the new terms.  Originally, WhatsApp said that users who refused would encounter persistent reminders for a few weeks and gradual, dialed-back functions, such as being unable to access chat lists.  “After a few weeks of limited functionality, you won’t be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to…
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