Recently, Whatsapp warned its users via an in-app message that in order to continue using the application it will be necessary to accept a new privacy policy that would have involved sharing Whatsapp data with the Facebook app. Anyone who does not want to accept the new Whatsapp data sharing policy with Facebook will no longer be able to use Whatsapp from 8 February. But why was this forced sharing of data imposed?
Whatsapp is owned by Facebook and Facebook is starting to move to make its investment pay off with the messaging app and this is possible with the sharing of Whatsapp data with Facebook, in this way the user who visits Facebook has profiled advertisements and more targeted products are presented on the social network based on the data collected from the user’s Whatsapp account.
However, the fact that this sharing of data between the two platforms has been imposed in an obligatory manner has caused many users to be at attention, as their fear is that their privacy will be violated. This “take it or leave it” was therefore not so popular with those who use Whatsapp, so much so that millions of users around the world have already decided to change messaging platforms without thinking twice. However, all this general stampede is senseless at least for those who live in Europe, given that practically nothing will change for those who reside in European territory even after 8 February for the Whatsapp Messenger app.
A spokesperson for WhatsApp said in fact:
“There are no changes to the way WhatsApp data is shared in the European Region (including the UK) resulting from the update of the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy. WhatsApp does not share the data of WhatsApp users in the European area with Facebook in order to allow Facebook to use such data to improve its products or advertisements”
But to find out more, I refer you directly to the Whatsapp FAQ page where everything is better specified- Clarifications relating to the WhatsApp privacy policy
If, however, your intention is still to replace Whatsapp with another messaging app that is attentive to your privacy, we have collected a series of applications that could be right for you:
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The best alternative applications to Whatsapp for Android- Signal
One of the most popular alternative messaging applications to Whatsapp is Signal. The application in the last period has made its servers fatigue as they could not keep up with the boom of the huge number of registrations of new users who have decided to abandon Whatsapp in favor of Signal.
This is also thanks to Elon Musk who recommended the use of this app instead of WhatsApp due to the fact that it guarantees greater privacy and is currently considered the safest messaging app available.
Signal is a free, open-source application, which means that those with the skills can modify the code and make it even more secure and customized or fix any possible bugs found. The app also boasts end-to-end encryption so your messages are totally safe, and the feature of blurring faces in images has recently been added to maintain privacy.
Signal can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store.
The best alternative applications to Whatsapp for Android- Telegram
Among the applications that have had a further increase in downloads in the last period, since Whatsapp informed its users of the privacy change, we certainly have Telegram which boasted 25 million more users in just 72 hours, truly incredible numbers given the fact that they were achieved in such a short time. Telegram is a messaging app that offers a WhatsApp-like experience with sticker packs and a good user interface.
Equipped with end-to-end encryption, Telegram also has self-destructing messages that expire after a certain period of time without leaving any trace of themselves. Another positive aspect of Telegram is its ability to be used on different devices such as smartphones via app and computers via the web.
The best alternative applications to Whatsapp for Android- Google messages
Google Messages is an app that allows you to send both classic SMS and MMS, but it can also be used as a normal chat (RCS) with which you can send and receive messages via the Wi-Fi connection or a data network. Among the chat functions you can see when your friends are typing a new message and when your messages have been read, you can also share images and videos in high quality, you can access sticker packs, also Google Messages has a deep integration with other Google apps and services like Google Photos and the Google Assistant.
In case you’re wondering, Messages like other apps of this type uses end-to-end encryption, which means that not even Google will be able to read the messages that have been exchanged between users who write messages through the application. The Google Messages app is a free download from the Google Play Store and supports both Android OS devices and web browsers.
The best alternative applications to Whatsapp for Android- other apps worthy of note but not too used in some countries
Viber Messenger, Skype, and WeChat are other messaging apps worth checking out. Viber Messenger is a complete messaging app that apparently has surpassed the one billion users in the world, but has not yet been so successful with some countries as it is not very used, even if it deserves to be tried.
Skype is an app that we know more or less everyone by name, especially for the fact that it has created its space among the apps for video calls, however, in addition to allowing you to be able to see and call a chat with which you can communicate with your contacts.
WeChat is a really beautiful messaging app, full of many features but it is widely used especially in China, which leads to privacy issues in its own right, and even if it boasts so many downloads you will hardly find many of your contacts using it.
As you can see, there are alternatives to Whatsapp that are also free. However, it must be considered that most users make use of Whatsapp, so it will be difficult to convince them to switch to other messaging applications.