WhatsApp New Terms of Service (Jan/Feb 2021)

[teuchter]

For a while it's seemed to me that it would be better if Android allowed more granular control of which apps could see which contacts. Because these apps can make it a condition that you let them see all of your contacts in order to install or use them. If Android were designed in such a way that each app can only see the contacts you want it to see, then they could no longer impose this condition. Some people wouldn't care, but you'd have the option still to use these apps that "everyone else" uses without being obliged to give it intrusive info.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

It's also rather concerning the way these technologies are being used by the Chinese state to maintain absolute control over the citizenry. Not that I expect we will become a totalitarian regime any time soon. Or at least i hope not..

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

So I've just bought a second hand blackberry off of tinterwebs! Time to go old skool.

 

[Badgers]

This makes a lot of sense and I've been running both Signal and WhatsApp like this for a while now. Signal can also be your SMS app (on Android at least) which means it isn't even "extra".

It's not even inconvenient in the slightest.

Signal eh?

 

[cybershot]

WhatsApp privacy rules controversy sends Signal to top of Apple and Google app stores — The Independent

Signal has surged to the top of app stores across the world amid a controversy over WhatsApp’s data practices.

apple.news

 

[magneze]

WhatsApp privacy rules controversy sends Signal to top of Apple and Google app stores — The Independent

Signal has surged to the top of app stores across the world amid a controversy over WhatsApp’s data practices.

apple.news

Can we have a non apple link. This doesn't work.

 

[weltweit]

I don't think I ever expected the point to point information to be secret, though it is a slight selling point that the messages themselves are encrypted. I mean I bet everyone would like to listen to my fascinating conversations!

 

[cybershot]

Can we have a non apple link. This doesn't work.

Being a thread about privacy I assumed we all had Apple devices.

WhatsApp competitor surges to top of app stores

Signal has surged to the top of app stores across the world amid a controversy over WhatsApp’s data practices.

www.independent.co.uk

 

[2hats]

Can we have a non apple link. This doesn't work.

WhatsApp competitor surges to top of app stores

Signal has surged to the top of app stores across the world amid a controversy over WhatsApp’s data practices.

www.independent.co.uk

 

[2hats]

One comparison. Anticipate column 3 morphing into column 4...

 

[magneze]

I don't think I ever expected the point to point information to be secret, though it is a slight selling point that the messages themselves are encrypted. I mean I bet everyone would like to listen to my fascinating conversations!

This is missing the point a bit. Eavesdropping isn't the issue, it's privacy from Facebook who will use any data they can get to target adverts to you. Yes, even the point to point data will help them.

 

[magneze]

One comparison. Anticipate column 3 morphing into column 4...

That's great. Really explains it well.

Even if GDPR temporarily protects us, this can be changed without our first control and of course Facebook can accidentally link all the data.

There have been many privacy accidents like this.

 

[NoXion]

Never had any cause to use encrypted communications, but this was bound to happen sooner or later. Facebook have pulled a similar trick by requiring Oculus VR users to link to a Facebook account.

Facebook is making Oculus’ worst feature unavoidable

If you love Facebook, you were already fine. If you hate it, you’re in trouble.

www.theverge.com

 

[editor]

I've managed to get a few friends to switch to telegram after they weren't so impressed with Signal.

 

[Sunray]

Yeah, Telegram is nearly a drop in replacement for WhatsApp. Signal is quite sparse compare to the two. Telegram is owned and funded by a Russian dude. If your ok with this, its fine.

Signal ticks all the boxes with regard to ownership, sources of funding and fully open source.

 

[editor]

Yeah, Telegram is nearly a drop in replacement for WhatsApp. Signal is quite sparse compare to the two. Telegram is owned and funded by a Russian dude. If your ok with this, its fine.

Signal ticks all the boxes with regard to ownership, sources of funding and fully open source.

I've not seen anything to unduly alarm me about Telegram and whilst I do take my privacy seriously, I only ever use these messaging apps for essentially entertainment purposes.

And, ultimately, it's better than shitty WhatsApp, and there's no point me using a super secure messaging app if nobody I know is using it.

 

[editor]

There's a monster comparison of all the messaging apps here:

Secure Messaging Apps Comparison | Privacy Matters

This site compares secure messaging apps from a security & privacy point of view. These include Facebook Messenger, iMessage, Skype, Signal, Google Allo, Threema, Riot, Wire, Telegram, and Wickr. The best secure messaging app?

www.securemessagingapps.com

 

[Sunray]

I've not seen anything to unduly alarm me about Telegram and whilst I do take my privacy seriously, I only ever use these messaging apps for essentially entertainment purposes.

And, ultimately, it's better than shitty WhatsApp, and there's no point me using a super secure messaging app if nobody I know is using it.

For me its less the privacy, more the Facebook thing. The quicker we all wean ourselves off the teat of Facebook the better. Its free because you are the product.

Just need enough people to move and its done. The rest will follow.

 

[ChrisC]

Any good alternatives? Is Telegram reliable?

My Daughter in South Africa recommended me Telegram as an alternative to WhatsApp for communication with her. I installed it and I'm very impressed.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

I've started using Signal as my SMS app.

How do I tell if the recipient also has Signal to take advantage of the security?

 

[danny la rouge]

I've started using Signal as my SMS app.

How do I tell if the recipient also has Signal to take advantage of the security?

There’s a protocol. C&P this:

“Mate, are you on Signal?”

Then send it to them.

 

[Sue]

The company is wholly owned by a nonprofit foundation run and supported by crypto/privacy/press freedom types and organisations. It's specifically designed not to be able to be bought out by big tech companies. While obviously nothing is ever entirely safe, it's pretty much as safe as you're going to get these days.

Yep, the techy consensus at work is that 'Signal is non-profit and dedicated to protecting privacy. Telegram is another WhatsApp waiting to happen.'

ETA And one of my colleagues (unexpectedly I might add) said 'Socialist style, everyone's an admin'. (It's at this point I find out that that's someone here, isn't it? )

 

[2hats]

How do I tell if the recipient also has Signal to take advantage of the security?

Start composing a conversation to an intended recipient and the text entry window will have 'Signal message' placeholder text if they are already on Signal, or 'Unsecured SMS' if not (behaviour observed on Android where Signal was set as the default SMS app).

 

[mwgdrwg]

Been using Signal ever since dumping Whatsapp years ago, it's great.

e2a: Happy to see it trending at number 1 in the Play Store.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Start composing a conversation to an intended recipient and the text entry window will have 'Signal message' placeholder text if they are already on Signal, or 'Unsecured SMS' if not (behaviour observed on Android where Signal was set as the default SMS app).

Yes I'm seeing signal message in the empty text box, cheers,

How do I now send an SMS to that person? The enjoy turns his data off so won't see the messages until he turns it back on which could be days

 

[magneze]

Yes I'm seeing signal message in the empty text box, cheers,

How do I now send an SMS to that person? The enjoy turns his data off so won't see the messages until he turns it back on which could be days

Long press on the send button.

 

[Sasaferrato]

That's what everyone thinks

And to add to that with the huge amount of microtargeted political advertising on there these days, the susceptibility of even a small portion of the populace to advertising has big ramifications to us all.

I can truthfully say that I've never bought anything from a Facebook advert.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Being a thread about privacy I assumed we all had Apple devices.

WhatsApp competitor surges to top of app stores

Signal has surged to the top of app stores across the world amid a controversy over WhatsApp’s data practices.

www.independent.co.uk

Apple? My phone makes calls and sends texts. Only.

 

[teuchter]

It would be very satisfying to see loads of people move to Signal (or elsewhere) in response to this, and Facebook left holding a platform that a bunch of people have abandoned.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I can truthfully say that I've never bought anything from a Facebook advert.

This is where I do my regular spiel about how letting them track your activity feeds into the "social graph" which allows them to track and profile everyone else.