Published 20:04 IST, January 11th 2021
WhatsApp, Facebook trolled by netizens after privacy update; Signal joins bandwagon
WhatsApp recently updated its privacy policy asking permission from users to share their data with Facebook. Signal started trending after the announcement.
WhatsApp recently updated its privacy policy asking permission from users to share personal data with Facebook. Following the announcement, the Signal app started trending in India with several users saying they would switch from WhatsApp after Feb 8, a deadline set by the Facebook-owned company to accept the new terms and conditions. The messaging app later clarified that the new update in its privacy policy will only affect business accounts and regular users will be left out of it.
However, the damage was already done as netizens picked up the buzz and started a meme fest on social media, poking fun at WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook. To make the situation worse for WhatsApp when Signal joined the bandwagon and shared a post that showed the messaging app on top of the charts on Apple's App Store. WhatsApp was below Signal in the second position. People started posting messages on social media urging others to switch to Signal and Telegram.
How safe is Signal?
Signal was founded in 2014 and is owned by a Non-Profit Organisation, Signal Foundation. Unlike WhatsApp, which is run by Facebook, one of the largest tech companies in the world with a complete monopoly in the world of social media, Signal is run by donations from its users, and hence it serves the interests of its users. 'Say Hello to Privacy' is the tagline of Signal, and just like it, the company provides users with a host of features to keep their data private. Take for instance the incognito keyboard, which allows users to keep whatever they are typing on the keyboard secure, unlike other messaging apps that stores them as user data.
Updated 20:04 IST, January 11th 2021