WhatsApp’s popularity is shrinking after the recent update in its privacy policy. It created confusion among WhatsApp users over the trust of the messenger. Meanwhile, peoples started looking for a trusted Chat App that provides better privacy options to its users.
At the beginning of 2021, Signal and WhatsApp are on the top stories of the internet. Both are Chat Apps, and you should know which has Better Privacy Features and which one you should use.
What went wrong with WhatsApp?
WhatsApp recently updated its Privacy Policy, and according to the new Privacy Policy, Facebook-owned companies will be allowed to access WhatsApp user data.
No one likes their data to be monitored or shared; thus, many WhatsApp users started searching for a Chat App (Signal), which has a better Privacy Policy than WhatsApp.
Elon Musk endorsed Signal and suggested his followers to start using it. After that, Signal became an overnight sensation, and it is considered the best WhatsApp alternative.
What is Signal App?
Signal is an Internet messaging app that can be downloaded on Android, Apple (iPhone and iPad), Windows, Mac and Linux devices. Signal is developed by the Signal Foundation and Signal Messenger LLC. WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton and the CEO of Signal Messenger Moxie Marlinspike created the Signal Foundation.
Signal vs WhatsApp: Active Users
WhatsApp is still the biggest Chat App globally with over 2 billion monthly active users, whereas Signal is fresh in the market and has 20 million monthly active users.
The Signal App, with it’s enhanced security features and privacy gaining more popularity early this year.
Signal vs WhatsApp Privacy Policy Comparison
Signal carries communication between two endpoints, whereas WhatsApp creates backups (cloud or local), and these back-ups are not encrypted. WhatsApp does not even encrypt the metadata, unlike Signal. WhatsApp Group chats are even more insecure and earlier found to be indexed on Google and other search engines, a significant privacy flaw.
Signal does not provide a host feature like WhatsApp but encrypts all the local files with a 4 digit passphrase and supports encrypted group calls, making Signal the most secure messaging app.
Here is the list of data both of them collects from the users:-
| WhatsApp Data Collection | Signal Data Collection |
|---|---|
| User ID | It only stores your phone number |
| Device ID | |
| Purchase History | |
| Advertising Data | |
| Coarse Location | |
| Phone Number | |
| Contacts | |
| Email Address | |
| Product Interaction | |
| Crash Data | |
| Other Diagnostic Data | |
| Performance Data | |
| Payment Info | |
| Product Interaction | |
| Customer Support | |
| Other User Content |
Is Signal better than WhatsApp?
Signal has an option to write a “note to self” which allows a user to send notes to oneself. This option is not available for WhatsApp users instead of directly sending notes to oneself, a WhatsApp user has to form a single person group to send notes. Signal collects much less data from its users compared to WhatsApp and it has become the most downloaded app on Apple App Store.
Important: Privacy policies of both Signal and WhatsApp are subject to change at any time, so read the policies on the official page of both applications before making any decision. These are all my personal point of view after doing some research. Always make your own decision and at your own risk.
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