WhatsApp New Terms of Service (Jan/Feb 2021)

[2hats]

Goodbye WhatsApp.

WhatsApp in damage-control mode after its Facebook-or-die ultimatum

There’s no way to opt out of these intrusive privacy policy changes

www.androidpolice.com

 

[platinumsage]

Doesn’t apply here thanks to GDPR

 

[Winot]

This is really fucking annoying because since the pandemic WhatsApp has been increasingly used by my work for messaging purposes. I can see it being very difficult to persuade people to shift away from it.

 

[yield]

Any good alternatives? Is Telegram reliable?

 

[weltweit]

Doesn’t apply here thanks to GDPR

As long as UK remains aligned to GDPR..

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Doesn’t apply here thanks to GDPR

I already got the app update which asks me to consent and says if I don't I won't be able to use the service come February 8th.

Facebook is already in breach of GDPR anyway, a little more won't bother them. Their tactic has been to have their lawyers produce justifications that can keep any case tied up in courts indefinitely, as with most US tech firms. They can't operate as a business under GDPR so that's really the only option for them.

 

[xenon]

Doesn’t apply here thanks to GDPR

lol

 

[xenon]

And UK FB users data is now held / processed in Calafornia. I'm sure it's all fine and there will be nothing to worry about, ever.

 

[blairsh]

Any good alternatives? Is Telegram reliable?

I've used it a bit the passed few years (not intensively) and never had a problem. Its like watsapp but blue

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Signal is the best current alternative.

 

[platinumsage]

I've used it a bit the passed few years (not intensively) and never had a problem. Its like watsapp but blue

and Russian

 

[blairsh]

and Russian

Mines in English

 

[skyscraper101]

Meh. They can have my info, I really don’t give AF.

 

[RoyReed]

Another vote for Signal.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I've only used it on my work phone, so it's not my problem. My employer can worry about whatever as I don't use it personally.

 

[mwgdrwg]

This is really fucking annoying because since the pandemic WhatsApp has been increasingly used by my work for messaging purposes. I can see it being very difficult to persuade people to shift away from it.

23 out of 25 people in my office are in a WhatsApp group. Fuck em. They can contact me on teams or email.

Just uninstall it. If they need WhatsApp for work tell them to buy you a phone and sim.

 

[editor]

I remember banging on about Telegram 7 years ago and kept trying to get friends to switch off Facebook, but inertia and familiarity seem to trump security every time.

 

[mauvais]

I've looked at getting rid of Facebook recently - not a very high priority - and all of those 'login with Facebook' things are quite a barrier. You can't fully untangle your Spotify account, for example. You can get a new password but if you signed up with FB, your username is garbage and your email can't be changed.

 

[Jay Park]

23 out of 25 people in my office are in a WhatsApp group. Fuck em. They can contact me on teams or email.

Just uninstall it. If they need WhatsApp for work tell them to buy you a phone and sim.

what a bunch of shits

 

[mwgdrwg]

what a bunch of shits

Absolute wankers. They willingly put Teams and Slack on their phones to check work stuff in their personal time. None of them are in the union either.

 

[Jay Park]

Absolute wankers. They willingly put Teams and Slack on their phones to check work stuff in their personal time. None of them are in the union either.

figures

 

[danny la rouge]

Telegram and Wire are both good. I personally prefer Telegram. But none of your mates will download it.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

On a slightly related note, I feel that as time goes on more and more of the software we interact with is just glorified adware/spyware, including Windows and Android/iOS itself. It irks me

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Telegram and Wire are both good. I personally prefer Telegram. But none of your mates will download it.

The thing about Telegram that I distrust is that they made some sort of unspecified deal with the Russian government in order to keep running there. Also it is full of Nazis but I guess everywhere is full of Nazis now.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

On actually related note, this gives me an excuse to ditch WhatsApp, so silver linings and all that.

 

[salem]

This was always inevitable when facebook took over. And it feels pretty sinister as they will basically be using the phone as a data collection device. Whatsapp has become so ubiquitous - finally cementing those friends across the world who had been using various chat apps.

I suspect I won't be cutting it off for a while as I just can't be arsed with the admin and with the 'current situation' I'm not really able to. e.g my nan's old people's home have recently set her up with it. I can't see my mum to set her phone up etc. I think it's particularly shitty for them to pick this time to do it knowing that lots of people are relying on it.

So with that in mind I'm thinking about mitigation, I've turned off the apps access to my location data (as well as everything else). It insists on access to my contacts - I suppose they've already got those, it's essential to use the service and it's invaluable to their 'social graph'.

 

[danny la rouge]

The thing about Telegram that I distrust is that they made some sort of unspecified deal with the Russian government in order to keep running there. Also it is full of Nazis but I guess everywhere is full of Nazis now.

Full of Nazis? I’m not sure I follow. Do you mean they number amongst its users?

I don’t use any public functions. I have various chats - for particular reasons - running with people I know directly in real life. It’s got very good granular permissions, so you don’t need to interact with anyone who isn’t in your phone book.

 

[xenon]

I can’t see that WhatsApp has requested location information. Using an iPhone. I was going to turn it off otherwise.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Full of Nazis? I’m not sure I follow. Do you mean they number amongst its users?

It's a favoured network for use by the far right. That doesn't impinge directly on other users, but it might have an effect on how the platform is surveilled by governments. The Russian restrictions and subsequent deal were ostensibly due to "terrorist" use, though I suspect that was more of an excuse to exert control over a system that was widely used by Russian opposition - Telegram made the deal though which is the most important thing.

 

[xenon]

everyone should use FaceTime. If you haven’t got an iPhone, well, that’s just the price you play for privacy.