WhatsApp Delays Privacy Policy Update That Led to Confusion Over Facebook Data Sharing

[TimFL1]

People leaving WhatsApp are likely to choose Signal or Telegram which means we may need both apps if our contacts split between the two. With iMessage and possibly WhatsApp for those who stay on WhatApp, we could need four apps! Would be easier if Apple created an Android app for iMessage and then we might not need to have two or more messaging apps.

I‘m part of the „release iMessage clients on non-Apple hardware“ for years. WhatsApp has pretty much taken over as the new messaging standard in my country and a lot of other countries around the world.

Apple simply is NO marketshare leader. Android dwarfs them by a great margin around the world. An Apple only texting standard is dead on arrival the second you look at countries where the vast majority of people own Android phones. That‘s why people flocked to cross-platform messengers in the first place.

I feat it‘s a little to late for cross-platform iMessage though and that the great WhatsApp exodus to Signal is nothing more than a blip in the history of messengers. WhatsApp will still be the defacto standard here for the foreseeable future and Signal will slowly fade back to irrelevance again. People like convenience, they‘ll stay on WhatsApp and forget about all the outcry... especially in Europe, where pretty much nothing changes because we have basic human rights here that protect us from a lot of shady practices.

 

[winglet69]

signal is not stable. Multiple tech issues. Was not able to send out messages yesterday.
Prefer Telegram, it just works

Signal's hiccups are a good sign, of tremendous uptake of their platform. Of course they're scrambling to add servers, not really their fault when tens of millions sign up overnight.

I'll take a short-term explainable tech issue in exchange for a long-term user base any day.

And depending on ANY one app or service for communication is never a good idea anyway.

 

[one more]

There are alternatives to WhatsApp...

Messenger Comparison

threema.ch

Based in Europe, I quite like supporting local IT initiatives, such as Spotify, so this sounds appealing. However, the biggest problem with moving to these other services is that you will need to convince your contacts to move along as well. This can be tricky.

 

[biracialfamily91]

Unfortunately, I’m am stuck on FB since most of customer base don’t really care about privacy. I use FB for my business because mostly all my contacts are on it.

Even when I told them about the FB scandal, they were like and so... I don’t really care. Yup, ignorance is bliss.

I decided long ago to use it for my business and nothing else.

 

[Wtfigo4362]

WhatsApp place ads only in India, to persuade people not to leave. Why? because India a huge market for it. As for other countries (which don't have privacy regulations)? it just want to shove the new policy down the users' throat. Just hypocritical....

 

[ian87w]

So far, I have like one friend using Signal... Everybody else seems like to not even know the news about this. Whatsapp is so ingrained that even the food delivery guys are all using whatsapp.

 

[MacBH928]

This is completely stupid by everyone. There is no advantage to Whatsapp here. Signal does the same exact thing but completely private + it will break one arm of BIG TECH controlling our lives. Just see how recently some companies started censoring people because they didn't agree on their opinion/political views including Mozilla (GASP!)

Why use Whatsapp when it will use some of your data when signal will use none of your data? +Non-profit +Open-Source Doesn't take a genius to figure it out.

 

[MacBH928]

Facebook gets a lot of hate on these boards, but we should also remember that this board is a bubble. FB alone has over 1.8 Billion daily active users, and almost 3B monthly.

You may read about Signal's boost in downloads, but what kind of dent was actually made?

FB's privacy intrusions are not new, yet they continue to grow. Most people simply don't care.

You are not wrong, but... we should not surrender to big tech, advocating for change should continue. Whatsapp is a monster to day, but it shouldn't be the monster of tomorrow. Remember this?

It is being delayed in hopes that people forget what is going to occur. Wolves in sheep's clothing.

Boohoo for mean ole WhatsApp trying to play the advocate for privacy. What a pathetic laugh. of an app.

Exactly. They want their $19B they paid 6 years ago to purchase Whatsapp back. The funny thing is that when they finally found a way to monetize IM by offering businesses services over it, it back fired in their face. Karma for all that data abuse they do on FB.

So far, I have like one friend using Signal... Everybody else seems like to not even know the news about this. Whatsapp is so ingrained that even the food delivery guys are all using whatsapp.

Yes, what I am hoping for is that enough people delete Whatsapp and force to use Signal. Now those people who refuse to use Signal will be forced to download it to contact their 3-4 friends who do. Hopefully by time more people be on Signal and less on Whatsapp.

At least thats how it happened over every switch of standard in tech. history. Netscape->IE->Chrome , Nokia->BB->iPhone/Android , myspace->FB , hotmail->gmail, yahoo->google, and so on.

 

[pavvel]

All you people saying “switch to signal” what do you thinks going to happen if everyone does? It will sell out to the big tech as soon as it’s relied upon like WhatsApp. All the companies generate their money the same way - eventually with your data/ads. You will never get away from it.

Also, what about all the smart devices in your home, your email address, your mobile phones etc it’s all spewing out personal data. Unless you want to sell all your computers, delete all your socials and turn of your electricity you won’t get away from it.

 

[I7guy]

All you people saying “switch to signal” what do you thinks going to happen if everyone does? It will sell out to the big tech as soon as it’s relied upon like WhatsApp. All the companies generate their money the same way - eventually with your data/ads. You will never get away from it.

[...]

I’ll go back to iMessage.

 

[Manatlt]

My biggest “loss” if I left WhatsApp would be losing the ability to use two different numbers on the same phone. Right now my dual-SIM iPhone has WhatsApp (my private line) and WhatsApp Business (my work line) running. Since Signal does not have a separate business app allowing us to use two numbers, I am kind of stuck with WhatsApp business, for now. I already use quite a collection of messaging apps - iMessage, WhatsApp, Viber, FB Messenger. Now might also need to add Signal to the mix and just gather them all in one folder. 🖐

Telegram allows you to have multiple accounts.

 

[one more]

I’ll go back to iMessage.

And what will you do with Android lot then?

 

[one more]

Telegram allows you to have multiple accounts.

Good to know, thank you, I will look into it more. 🖐

 

[badmojo]

As per Edward Snowden:

Signal is an independent non-profit with a $50m endowment—they can't be meaningfully influenced by money for a very long time. Telegram is a standard private company.

Signal is a non-profit with cash in the bank. They don't need to sell out to Mark Zuckerberg.

 

[I7guy]

And what will you do with Android lot then?

SMS, like I do now. With one or two exceptions, my whatsapp buddies were all iphone anyway. Whatsapp did have some nice features. But the recent update to the TOS rendered those nice feature a moot point.

 

[Blowback]

Signal has no wallpaper capabilities is what I am getting when I try to convince people to use it instead of WhatsApp. Same with iMessage actually. Though I keep forcing my iPhone friends to answer me on iMessage

I may be old/confused but is 'wallpaper' some new techno-jargon I've missed? We're not talking about 'background' wallpaper are we? Really?

 

[Denzo]

Man I love that so many of my friends pissed WhatsApp off and downloaded signal. Facebook and Co can eat the proverbial.

 

[Denzo]

Signal has no wallpaper capabilities is what I am getting when I try to convince people to use it instead of WhatsApp. Same with iMessage actually. Though I keep forcing my iPhone friends to answer me on iMessage

Lol who cares. I’m an adult who’s privacy and the text in my messages is more important than the wallpaper. This I find funny but I guess there will always be a “market” for anything.

 

[Fiestaman]

what is signal's revenue model?

None. They are operated by a nonprofit so they aren’t beholden to shareholders and the bottom line. They operate purely through donations. But this is also why they can crack under massive fluctuations in userbase like they are now. They operate with just enough servers to handle the load to minimize costs and the new onslaught of tens of millions of new users has strained their servers beyond capacity. Hopefully there’s a massive influx of donations to match the influx of users.

 

[nmeed]

Could someone please answer this for me because I haven't been able to find a clear answer and frankly it's a little spooky...

For instance, with Facebook Messenger, it lists it can use my health and fitness data. On the iPhone though, if I don't give it permission to the health app/data, can it still access that data?? As far as my browsing history is concerned, I am not signed into Facebook in Safari, can FB messenger still see my browsing history just because it's installed on my iPhone? Same with financial information, if I never make a purchase through Facebook or FB Messenger, can they see my financial information? Basically what I'm asking is if I have the app installed on my phone (or any app for that matter), does it now have free rein to look into whatever it wants? Because it sure as heck seems to read that way to me.

Currently my FB Messenger has basically no permissions allowed. I "think" the only thing it knows is my Facebook (only) friends, my IP address, device ID, and ah.... I guess that's basically it. Am I naive to think that is all it knows?

 

[Fiestaman]

^ This. Facebook “sells ads, senator!”, Google sniffs through our emails for targeted advertising. Who is financing Signal?

Users who actually care about their privacy donating.

All you people saying “switch to signal” what do you thinks going to happen if everyone does? It will sell out to the big tech as soon as it’s relied upon like WhatsApp. All the companies generate their money the same way - eventually with your data/ads.

That’s not how nonprofits work. Why would a not for profit company sell out for profits? That’s contradictory by definition.

 

[Smartass]

Use Signal instead!

Dont worry, they'll ban this app sooner or later. They've opened pandora's box with Parler and now the **** will hit the fan.

 

[jav6454]

I wish Signal would allow for annual donating in the app so I could set it and forget it.
I also wish Apple would note IAP's of donation only versus IAP's to by additional features.

You can also donate directly to the Signal Foundation.

 

[himanshumodi]

None. They are operated by a nonprofit so they aren’t beholden to shareholders and the bottom line. They operate purely through donations. But this is also why they can crack under massive fluctuations in userbase like they are now. They operate with just enough servers to handle the load to minimize costs and the new onslaught of tens of millions of new users has strained their servers beyond capacity. Hopefully there’s a massive influx of donations to match the influx of users.

Thanks!

 

[laptech]

There is no confusion and MR should not be supporting that statement in it's report. whatsApp users are very clear on why they are leaving and it's all to do with one line in the changes of the terms and conditions which is 'phone number will be shared with facebook'. THIS is why people are leaving whatsApp, they do not want Facebook having their personal phone number.

Thousands upon thousands of apps and website have a signup where the only requirement is a username and a password. many times that username is the persons email address. People have become accustomed to having their email address passed around tech companies and advertisers but whatsApp is different, to signup with the app you have to use a phone number, a phone number that is linked to you directly.

Facebooks business model is to collect personal information from users and sell it to third party companies. People know this, it is a well know fact so when whatsApp said they are going to share the users information with Facebook, that set alarm bells ringing because they knew what would happen. Facebook would be given the phone numbers of millions of whatsApp users and then would be able to sell that information to third party companies. It's what Facebook does.

Remove the line in the terms and conditions where it states that the phone number will be shared with Facebook and I feel there will not be as a bigger problem as there has been but if they do not then whatsApp is finished in my opinion because more and more people will leave come deadline day of the new terms and conditions being issued.