2 min read Facebook

I sent this email asking my friends to switch to Signal

Hello ? 

I know you like to use WhatsApp, I use WhatsApp as well. One of the most important things in WhatsApp that differentiates itself from other messaging apps like Viber, Messenger and Telegram is WhatsApp’s privacy.

WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted. Which means once you hit the send button on your phone, WhatsApp scrambles the message so no one in the middle can read it, not even WhatsApp themselves can read what you send. Therefore called end-to-end encryption.

You get this feature as soon as you install and start using WhatsApp, while you need to enable end-to-end encryption on other chat apps that you use (Telegram, Messenger etc). So you are at risk of the app creator, your government reading your messages.

However, starting from February 8th, WhatsApp is changing is policies, to loosen some of it’s privacy features because Facebook (the company that owns WhatsApp) plans to make money out of WhatsApp.

This including sharing your data with advertisers, companies, and businesses that might chat on WhatsApp.

You might have already got this message asking you to agree to these new terms, and if you agree with it, you are agreeing to share your data with other companies.

Even though we are not sure whether WhatsApp or businesses can read your messages or not after the February 8th because the message is very vague, this update coming on February 8th means that WhatsApp is not safe anymore, and should not to be used for private communications.

Why use Signal?

Signal is a chat app, just like WhatsApp. But unlike WhatsApp Signal is a non profit organization, which meansSignal does not have to sell your messages and information to advertisers like WhatsApp is planning to do in order to make money.
Signal also enables end-to-end encryption by default, so your chats are safe just like WhatsApp.
People like Elon Musk and others have asked everyone to switch to Signal once WhatsApp announced their new privacy policy about selling your data.

Elon recommends Signal

What you miss by using signal instead of WhatsApp?

Basically nothing. Signal has everything that you love in WhatsApp.

  • Groups ✅
  • Voice calls ✅ 
  • Video calls ✅
  • Stickers ✅
  • Statuses ?️

You won’t miss anything by using Signal instead of WhatsApp.

So I suggest everyone to download and try Signal, hopefully you will be able to replace WhatsApp if you care about your privacy, and may be try switching your friends over to Signal

Rukshan

Rukshan