So one morning I wake up, check my Twitter feed, switch to WhatsApp, out pops a notification telling me that the messaging app now intends to share my data with its parent company Facebook and I have to accept it's terms by February 8 or it will kick me out of its platform. Of course I don't like the idea but I don't like the tone either. But do I click on "accept" right away because I don't want to lose my WhatsApp account ? After all it is where all our interpersonal communication take place, email now is strictly for official correspondence. However, I clicked "not now" hoping there might be a way out from this forced consent. I have never been a big fan of WhatsApp, so perhaps it was time to look for alternatives.
Facebook's Privacy Record
Facebook doesn't have a stellar record when it comes to ensuring privacy of its users and I am not even talking about Cambridge Analytica. While acquiring WhatsApp, Facebook had explicitly stated that the data would remain private and separate. It wasn't clear why Facebook was acquiring the messaging app if not for all the data WhatsApp would provide. Things cleared up a bit in 2016 when WhatsApp started sharing data with Facebook by default but it gave users the option to opt out of it. How many opted out of it or even knew of such an option is anyone's guess. Of course WhatsApp chats are end-to-end encrypted but it does collect the metadata along with several other identifiers making it as good as actual data.
In the latest newspaper ads WhatsApp says it respects user privacy and can not "see" private messages or "hear" calls, and that all media and files exchanged, voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted. But was that the real concern ? The content of most messages would most probably be just noise to its analytics algorithms, metadata can instead be the real signals. It does not specifically deny that it does not collect data such as location, IP address, details about groups, and user activities and interactions. For instance, the ads don't say that it does not collect and share data with Facebook such as who a user interacts with and for how long. This is the kind of data that Facebook can make use of, the images in "good morning" messages may not exactly be useful to it.
Why Choose Signal ?
Signal offers nearly everything that WhatsApp does including messaging, voice and video calls and group chat ( but users can't be added to groups without their permission) and is apparently rolling out new features. All communication is secured by the open source Signal Protocol which implements end-to-end encryption and even encrypts user's metadata which makes it really secure. Further, with the "Sealed Sender" feature, the identity of the sender and receiver of the message is protected. The files and group calls are also encrypted, users can also relay the calls to Signal server to avoid IP being detected by contacts. However, Signal doesn't have cloud-based back up and restore feature but then this mechanism isn't exactly privacy friendly.
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| Data Collection by Messengers| Image Courtesy : Forbes |
Can Signal Really Oust WhatsApp ?
Facebook is no stranger to controversies and it probably brazens its way out because of two factors. Majority of its users seem to be supremely concerned on matters of data privacy, tweetstorms and social media outrage have a very short lifespan. The hashtag #DeleteFacebook may make periodic appearances on Twitter trends but Facebook doesn't lose that many users. I, myself may be inactive on Facebook but I haven't deleted my account yet. The predicament is similar to the one I face with WhatsApp now. Everyone I know and want to communicate with is already on WhatsApp, to quit now basically means cutting myself off from the network.
However, there is a glimmer of hope now. People whose usual refrain when it comes to matter of data privacy used to be "I have nothing to hide" are now switching to Signal and Telegram. I personally have some reservations with Telegram but wouldn't like it go into it in this post for brevity's sake. Signal seems a better alternative. It is non-profit with the best security features and has been around for years even if it didn't have too many users. In a couple of days I have seen too many of my contacts join Signal. In fact, out of the six WhatsApp groups I am part of two have already migrated to Signal.
Amidst the user outrage over WhatsApp's new privacy policy Signal's popularity seems to be sky-rocketing. This week it became the highest-ranked app on Apple App Store and Google Play Store and its adoption seems only to have just begun. It may also have something to do with endorsements coming from personalities such as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and popular whistleblower Edward Snowden. This comes at a tumultuous time when social media companies are cracking down on misinformation and hate speech and Amazon, Apple and Google even banning far-right leaning social network Parler from their platform.
Perhaps, this time the network effect may work in favor of Signal or/and Telegram but unless the user base reaches the critical mass, we may have to grudgingly go ahead and click the "accept" button. And somewhere deep within I would have to grudgingly accept that tech giants in general and Facebook in particular have become so powerful that they can now openly infringe upon my agency and acquire forced consent. Here is hoping every one reading this migrate to Signal
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