WhatsApp is the most popular texting app with over 5 billion downloads on Play Store.
But since the company has updated its new privacy policy, it has generated a massive dissent among the users because of concerns about privacy. The users are given one month to accept the new terms and conditions.
You are compelled to accept the conditions within 8 February, if you want to continue using WhatsApp.
So let’s learn more about the new privacy policy!
New WhatsApp Privacy Policy
According to the policy, WhatsApp can share the personal information of the users with other companies, apparently for improving their services.
So, what data can they collect and share?
Customers provide various types of information to WhatsApp while opening their account like phone number, profile photo, your status, etc. These are first in the list of the things that WhatsApp is legally allowed to share with its other companies like Facebook.
However, there are several other types of data that the app collects when you start using it like your IP address, name of your mobile network provider, name of your device and its location.
They also collect your last seen and may also collect media that you share on your WhatsApp status. These can also be shared to the other companies that can sell these data to third parties for their profit.
WhatsApp claims that they don’t read your messages, since it’s protected with end-to-end encryption. However, the messages do get stored in the WhatsApp server unless they are delivered and if the message is not delivered to the recipient within 30 days, it gets deleted.
Apart from text messages, media like photographs, videos and documents are also stored in their servers to help in faster delivery.
For people who use Whatsapp Pay, the recently introduced payment feature, their transactional data is stored by WhatsApp to complete transactions.
The reason for doing all these is to develop an algorithm based on user information to maximize relevancy of advertisements that is done on social media platforms. Since advertisements are the major source of revenue for these social media companies, they want to make sure that the ads from the third-party sellers are reaching the right audience. So, they are selling you products and services based on the information that you provide to them, sometimes without your consent.
The problem with this approach is that sometimes, your data can be accessed by third party companies or even other hackers who do not have good intentions and you really want to keep your personal data safe from these kinds of organizations and people. Though the encryption is pretty solid but selling metadata is also unacceptable for some people.
Social media giants like WhatsApp and Facebook are failing people in this regard.
So, if you want to switch to another platform for a safer, more personal texting experience, we have listed some of the top secure platforms:
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1. Signal:
Signal is hitting the most headlines for being the safest app to use.
The reason is that it has a completely open source encryption engine which means that anyone can test its encryption, which in turn means that the company has to make sure their encryption method is hack proof.
Due to the above reason, Signal has earned a reputation for being the gold standard of chat privacy among Android apps.
The app itself is very basic in appearance and has basic features but the UI is smart and works smoothly.
One can also make groups and have certain customisations like changing colours of charts and turning off your read receipt.
These features make Signal a nice app to transfer sensitive data for both personal and professional use.
2. Telegram:
Telegram is again another nice app and it has more customisable features than Signal.The user interface is comparable to WhatsApp.
It claims to be end-to-end encrypted but this feature is available only in the secret chat option. The encryption is not open source so it is not possible to be exactly sure about its efficacy.
Telegram also has features like disappearing messages which means that you can fix a timer after which your message will be automatically deleted from all servers and cell phones.
3. Threema
When it comes to texting privacy, Threema is one of the oldest in the game. It had started the concept of end-to-end encryption on the messages since it was founded in 2012.
They also have encrypted video calling. Threema doesn’t ask for any phone number and instead generates a “key pair” that you can use to connect with other users.
Even though Threema does not have an open source encryption, it also does not collect much information like your phone number or any other personal information, so in a way, it is safe.
However, one disadvantage is that it is not free unlike other texting apps.
4. TrueConf
TrueConf corporate messenger guarantees the complete security of user data. The solution is deployed locally and functions within your corporate network, enabling you to interact with other users even in emergency situations, without the need for an internet connection.
Simultaneously, the transmitted data is safeguarded through AES-256, SRTP, H.235, and end-to-end encryption, effectively minimizing the risk of any potential leaks. At the same time, both personal and group chats can instantly transform into a conference with up to 1,500 people, enabling you to promptly discuss urgent issues. Users have access to a wide range of collaboration tools, including file sharing, presentation editing, and remote desktop management.
Artificial intelligence-based capabilities offer undeniable advantages for those seeking to preserve privacy or streamline weekly meetings. Virtual background, shorthand, as well as automatic focus on actively speaking participants — are only a small part of what the platform can offer you.
Ensure your safety and work efficiently with your colleagues by using TrueConf!
5. Wire
Wire is another app which sells as a secure alternative to WhatsApp. It is also an instant messaging platform which claims to be protected with end-to-end encryption.
The app is open source and users can modify it through GitHub. This feature of Wire makes it appealing to the users looking for security.
Wire has most of the features that are offered by other instant messaging applications but it is not as smooth as other apps and requires some improvement. However, this app has a lot of potential to become the next big secure texting app!
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Indian Messaging Apps:
Since the change in policies of WhatsApp, people are shifting to different texting applications. This gives many developers the opportunity to develop a great texting app that can replace WhatsApp and provide better security. Our own home made apps should also take this chance to improve their services.
Let us take a look at where Indian messenger applications stand in terms of features and privacy:
1.Hike:
Hike is a messaging app developed in India and it is the sixth most popular messaging app in the world. It has a lot of fun features, including a variety of amusing stickers that made it popular.
According to the privacy policy, Hike does not sell data to any third party and uses other ways to provide services like micro transactions and subscriptions.
2. Troop Messenger:
This app does not store any information and allows the user to host their own data. This makes the app good for use in extremely important operations like defence, government communication and communication for other professional organisations.
3. JioChat
It is developed by Jio telecom which is also the largest mobile internet provider in India.
It offers many features to personalize your experience. One can change the settings to regional language, a feature that is not provided by other apps. However, it is not purely a messaging app as it also allows business channels to promote and interact with its customers.
It also does not provide any guarantee on the security of your personal data.
4. Sharechat
It was released in 2015 and has gained over a hundred million downloads and is one of the fastest growing Indian chatting apps.
It is also not a pure chatting app but rather a combination of social media and chat apps and the servers have access to all your chat data and several other types of data. So, it scores really low on privacy.
It collects not only the information you share with this app and your chats but also your location IP address, contact list and other device data.
Let hope that companies start respecting people’s privacy and do not trade it for profits
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