CODEX
WhatsApp Is No More Private. Should You Stop Using It?
In July 2020, WhatsApp’s new policy said:
“We may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our services and offerings.”
Initially, people were not that much concerned, especially in India, because everyone now knows that these interconnected platforms do illegitimate things under the table, and that’s ok. We’ve learned to live with it. Interestingly, people in developing countries don’t really care about their private data. “We have nothing to hide,” they say.
But Why Don’t You Care? Terms and Conditions are too long. I can’t read that!
If you are one of those, who don't care to even glance at the “Terms and Conditions” pop-up while installing or updating apps or if your answer is “No, it’s too long to read.” Well, it’s high time to change your DEADLY habit!
Soon, your life will be driven by big tech giants. Surprisingly, it already has. We haven't felt that hit yet.
February 8, 2021, is when the updated privacy policy and terms of service of WhatsApp will come into force. Though, some users have got the update on Whatsapp on January 8th, 2020 also.
The point that distressed me so much is that it’s mandatory for users to accept the app update to continue using WhatsApp on their devices, else their accounts will be deleted! For forever.
What is it? Digital Dictatorship?
Earlier, I used to think that “digital dominance” doesn’t really affect the end users because they always have the option — not to buy that product or choose differently, although it’s at higher rates. You always have an alternate.
But this new policy from the tech giant has crossed all the boundaries; we’re in deep water, my friend. To be clear, WhatsApp’s policy has always said it shares information with Facebook. But the latest update has one significant difference.
What’s the new update?
Well, it has asked users to accept the changes (new Term & Conditions) and privacy policies, or their accounts will be deleted. This new update clearly hints at the scathing changes in how Facebook-owned WhatsApp will collect and process our information.
As part of a larger unification drive between the family of apps, the partnership with its parent company is part of a larger unification drive. Honestly, it’s infuriating and disappointing at the same time.
The news has hoisted perturbed concerns about how much data this company will access, given that the app now supports “financial transactions” and “e-commerce”.
In my opinion, it’s high time for us, the end consumers, to raise our voices against this concerning situation, where our hands seem to be tied.
So, what are the alternates to WhatsApp?
Based on your requirements, below are some of the best alternatives to WhatsApp that are being used all over the world:
Signal, Line, Viber, KakaoTalk Messenger, LiveProfile, Facebook messenger, Kik messenger, Groupme, Riot.IM, ChatON, WeChat (it doesn't work in India), Telegram, Threema, and Wire.
Firstly if security and encryption is your major concern,
In that case, Signal is on the top charts. Telegram is also good and free of cost, just like WhatsApp. A feature called secret chat enables end-to-end encryption on Telegram. Group sizes are 0.2 Million members rather than 256 members on WhatsApp.
Threema is also a safe option as Switzerland’s data protection laws apply to it. It is available for $2.73 on the Google and iOS app stores.
If you need something just for a casual chat, I’d suggest:
Hike Messenger or Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Kakao Talk, Tango, Line, GroupMe. The UI of these apps is great to use and aesthetic. I am sure you must be using one of these if you love to share your live life moments :)
For business-related usage, go for
Skype, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Amazon Chime. They are a great alternative for WhatsApp but are limited by the number of personal users than those who use it for business. A data transfer protocol called Signal protocol is used in these apps, but end-to-end encryption is missing.
I hope it helps you in understanding the issue in depth. Let me know your opinions on this in the comments below.
