#Facebook whatsapp not working today free#

WhatsApp needs to decide whether its priority is commercializing or securing its userbase. WhatsApp should have accepted that its data collection is out of step with other secure messengers and changed its practices.

WhatsApp’s response to Apple’s privacy labels should not have been to defend its data collection-Signal, iMessage and others manage to operate without linking all that data back to their users. It is inevitable that we will see people move away from these apps to those that better protect our data.” Unfortunately, being told that an app is unavailable unless you agree may not be best.

But while your messages are secure, protected from prying eyes (while that level of encryption is allowed by governments worldwide), your data could become fair game as the platform builds its commercial offerings and risks falling to the temptation that data might provide as it looks to accelerate those revenue models.Īs ESET’s Jake Moore points out, “privacy-focused apps are the flavor of 2021, but the small print has often been missed. WhatsApp has turned a long-expected corner, it is now embarking on a journey to better monetize its users. Signal’s marketing doesn’t need to go much further than we’re not Facebook, in reality, WhatsApp has actually been doing the marketing for its rival these past few days. WhatsApp even uses Signal’s own protocol for its encryption, albeit it has a proprietary version of this which is not open-source, unlike Signal itself, which shares everything to enable the open-source community to find and report bugs and vulnerabilities. Signal installs have been flying in recent days, and such is the viral nature of messaging that each of those new users will likely attract others. The challenge however is getting others with whom you communicate to switch as well.” I’d much rather use something such as Signal instead. Personally, after past actions from the likes of Facebook, it’s going to take a lot for them to restore my confidence in them regarding my privacy. And this is a good thing, it means there are alternatives. It’s interesting to see the volume of people appearing to be switching to Signal. “There’s a reason why Facebook bought WhatsApp, I am really surprised that it has taken this long to do it. “This was inevitable,” says security researcher Sean Wright. Signal even offers genuine multi-device access, unlike its larger rival. I’ve long advocated for Signal, which has managed to combine the usability of WhatsApp without the same holes in its security and data practices. The primary beneficiary from WhatsApp’s nightmare week has been Signal, a smaller but more secure alternative. WhatsApp does not share data for its European users with Facebook for the enhancement of its products and services-that hasn’t changed. It’s also important to note that there are differences in Europe in what WhatsApp can do, given GDPR. This isn’t about WhatsApp sharing any more of your general data with Facebook than it does already, this is about using your data and your engagement with its platform to enable shopping and other business services, to provide a platform where businesses can communicate with you and sell to you, all for a price they will pay to WhatsApp. And, critically, it has been largely misunderstood. Again, this has been on the cards since last year. Whether a case of woeful timing or an attempt to get all the bad news out at once, WhatsApp followed the privacy label debacle with the controversial implementation of its forced change in its terms of service. “Has Facebook finally broken WhatsApp,” I asked back then, when it was already clear that this risk “radical” change to WhatsApp was in train.Īnd so back to this week.

#Facebook whatsapp not working today free#

But now the price we need to pay for that free service is becoming clear. All of this, WhatsApp said at the time, would enable it to “continue building a business of our own, while we provide and expand free end-to-end encrypted text, video and voice calling.”Īnd this is the crux. Everything that has now prompted such angst was evident back then, including data linkages and WhatsApp messages between consumers and businesses potentially hosted by Facebook. Somewhat missing the point, WhatsApp also suggested that its commercial services and its plans for shopping made comparisons with iMessage unfair.īut the seeds for this latest backlash were actually sown earlier, back in October, when WhatsApp confirmed those shopping plans. WhatsApp continued to defend its data privacy-attesting that little was shared with Facebook, that the labelling overlooked its security measures, that all the data was needed to operate a platform serving 2 billion users and 100 billion daily messages. IMessage Vs WhatsApp Apple App Store 'Privacy Labels'