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Users are reportedly quitting WhatsApp in droves after the messaging service introduced controversial new terms and conditions.
WhatsApp, which has more than two billion users worldwide, began notifying users of the changes earlier this week, alarming many people with mentions of the app’s data sharing with parent company Facebook, so that she had previously committed never to do so.
This has led users to flee to Signal and Telegram, which claim to offer full end-to-end encryption to protect user data.
Alternatives to WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s new terms and conditions, which users will need to review and agree to when opening the app, include guidance that data will now be shared with Facebook.
While this data does not include messages sent or calls made using WhatsApp, or a user’s location, it does include personal details used to set up an account, such as name and phone number. , as well as information on the exact model of device they are. using, as well as the IP address.
“We want to be clear that the policy update does not in any way affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family,” WhatsApp wrote in a corporate blog explaining the changes.
“Instead, this update includes changes related to sending messages to a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides additional transparency on how we collect and use data.
Users are told they must accept the new terms by February 8, or not be able to access WhatsApp at all.
The warning does not apply to users in the UK and Europe, but has always been sent to devices in those regions. WhatsApp added that its practice of sharing data with Facebook is not new.
Users have now flocked to alternative services such as Telegram, which saw its user base almost double in the space of a few weeks. The app promises to offer full end-to-end encryption to its users, keeping their conversations private.
Elsewhere, Signal, which has the backing of the world’s richest man Elon Musk, recently tweeted that its user base grew from around 10 million to over 50 million users in a matter of days. The platform added more capacity to deal with the outbreak, and introduced wider group chats and better image sharing to support its new users.
Via BBC
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