WhatsApp has been around long enough to become the default messaging app in almost every part of the world.
The app has amassed 1.5 billion monthly active users over the years, making it the most widely used messaging service.
You should know by now that Facebook – WhatsApp Inc.’s parent company since 2014 – has been under fire because of its lax privacy control. Allegedly, Facebook also uses keywords from personal messages sent through the FB Messenger for targeted advertisement.
On the other hand, Whatsapp has remained ad-free with Mark Zuckerberg assuring users that Facebook does not read their messages or spy on them.
WhatsApp’s co-founder, Jan Koum, was appointed as part of Facebook’s board of directors when his company was purchased by Mark Zuckerberg.
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Can WhatsApp Be Trusted Now?
Jan Koum recently announced his resignation from Facebook and internal reports suggest that he did this over a conflict between his and Mark Zuckerberg’s idea of respecting user privacy.
Koum grew up in the Soviet Union where citizens are heavily monitored by the government, he has always been a privacy advocate due to this and had the same idea in mind when he built WhatsApp. When Facebook acquired WhatsApp back in 2014, Jan Koum said,
Respect for your privacy is coded into our DNA, and we built WhatsApp around the goal of knowing as little about you as possible. If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn’t have done it.
He promised to keep WhatsApp messages decentralized, end-to-end encrypted, and fully private. The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed holes in Facebook’s privacy control and raised concerns over the social networks to focus on selling user data to advertisement companies – Koum, instead of changing his “values”, decided to part ways instead. Koum resigned almost a month after his partner and co-founder of WhatsApp, Brian Acton asked people to delete their Facebook accounts in his Twitter post.
Do note that his resignation could mean a complete change in WhatsApp’s privacy policies as Facebook might make major changes and plug user data gathered from the messaging service into its advertisement platform. The social network was already leeching some of its ad-data from WhatsApp, however, it might continue to do so on a larger scale in the near future.
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Engineers at WhatsApp, according to the New York Times, believe that Facebook might use the app to track user data and use it to display advertisement now that Koum is gone.
Better Alternatives
WhatsApp has declined to comment when asked about its stance on dealing with privacy in the future. Now might be a good time to switch to another, more secure app. Telegram has good security features and speed but it has been blocked in Pakistan.
You can try Signal (Android, iOS), its free, fast, and also comes with end-to-end encryption. If you are looking to go up a notch, Threema (Android, iOS) is a good (but paid) alternative which focuses primarily on encryption and user security, it costs Rs. 320. Apple’s proprietary iMessage also works just as well and you can switch to it completely if you are an iPhone user. However, with Apple’s iCloud being vulnerable to attacks, there’s no telling when your data could be compromised.
What about Google Allo?
Facebook, google, same thing.
How about Azar?
That is not a messaging or calling app. That is more like a social community app.
Google Allo is not end-to-end encrypted. They just have the Encryption in Transit.
They offer private messages to be e2e encrypted. It’s opt-in though.
better for for Signal or some other high-end encrypted app. They are not that big and I won’t trust them after this Whatsapp Scandal.
Use incognito chat mode for privacy and e2e
Google Allo is not end to end encrypted. Whatsapp on the other hand is and is much much more safer.
Read carefully “Do note that his resignation could mean a complete change in WhatsApp’s
privacy policies as Facebook might make major changes and plug user data
gathered from the messaging service into its advertisement platform.”
“might make major changes”? and you wrote an article based on speculations .. Look at heading “End of WhatsApp”.
Pro Pakistani is really going down the drain.
“Engineers at WhatsApp, according to the New York Times, believe that Facebook might use the app to track user data and use it to display advertisement now that Koum is gone.”
Have a good day!
Wasn’t the same article posted on techjuice pk a couple of days ago?
Dude don’t be smart, clickbait najaiz because it contradicts Islamic views. You tell someone that “oh man, i saw your son being kidnapped” note that person will rush to save son and when he reaches home, the whole story was cleared that none other than his uncle was taking his brothers son oht. So please avoid being smart and don’t do stuff that can hurt someone.
Even the speculation is not based on any evidence. Raat ko khawab aye thee subha ke poty kay saath article nikal diya
Fucking clickbait
Anyone Who Cares About Their Privacy Should Get Off the Internet.
FTFY.
You always have the option to use Skype just in case. They have end-to-end encryption.
Telegram, Signal, Wire are secure apps.
First of all, give the writer a cookie….I had an unbelievably smooth experience reading this post
can you anyone please tell me why Telegram is banned in Pakistan ? any specific reason ?
There’s no reason. It’s just to annoy general public. I asked them over and over and they replied with “It has been blocked in Pakistan” ffs
actually i know the reason , the thing is hamarey yaha sab parchi waley bande bethey hai koi technical banda he nahi hai IT Department mei they even don’t know what is BlockChain and Crypto, when these stupid policies will change :'(
Han na. Pakistani IT needs a hufe overhaul. But engineering aur doctory se fursat milay to phir na ?
I don’t believe this story, Whats app is E2EE and this article is just for advertise of other apps. I live in Austria here nobody said about this. Anyway man be sure when you post something not on the basis of “might”
WhatsApp maybe be E2EE but Facebook always has the decryption keys. Also, Facebook is the one who’s selling your data so encryption doesn’t matter.
Nope. Facebook doesn’t have the decryption keys. The keys are physically on your phone
They are on my phone indeed but they can be uploaded to them.
No they can’t be.
JOG ON mate. Masters of Hyperbole……
I believe TG has been blocked by Pakistani government because of its privacy and encryption.
Telegram must be unblocked in Pakistan
Can you guys share your views on ‘who are you trying to hide your chat from by using encryption?
But how we will sustain if deleted the facility since we are crazy of using anything.
Nothing is private or the secret since we delivered it to the net and all these information are used and never told the users.
But we are fond of being champion and the mod thus no matter what happens as the consequences.
don’t you think they can also decrypt the messages, or where the message stores. off course they have access to everything even your face is saved to google eye