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WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

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Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#441
post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Social life is impossible without the mainstream technology. Sure you can find alternatives but if no one uses it other than you, you end up being sidelined. The technology gets enforced and leaves one with no choice but to accept it or be a red flag. Shouldn't it be possible to delete your whatsapp chat and contacts data regularly from the cloud? Eg. one could delete the whatsapp account, clear data on cloud and mak…

Social life is impossible without the mainstream technology. I've never owned a cell phone nor ever had a social media account in my life. Sure, it gets me the occasional eye roll but trust me, my social life is just fine. Caveat: old person speaking.

> Caveat: old person speaking.

There you have it. Class of 1950 uses letters to organize itself. Class of 2000 uses e-mail. Class of 2010 uses Facebook. Class of 2020 uses Tiktok or idk snapchat.

And this issue isn't just about your class, it also includes any peer group of any kind. For me as a 20s something, the choice is quite binary.

Nowadays you can't even participate in free software communities without using proprietary services. Many free software projects have discords instead of community run matrix or IRC instances.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#442
Such a sham that WhatsApp's privacy policy page still says:

We joined Facebook in 2014. WhatsApp is now part of the Facebook family of companies. Our Privacy Policy explains how we work together to improve our services and offerings, like fighting spam across apps, making product suggestions, and showing relevant offers and ads on Facebook. Nothing you share on WhatsApp, including your messages, photos, and account information, will be shared onto Facebook or any of our other family of apps for others to see, and nothing you post on those apps will be shared on WhatsApp for others to see.

This is hypocrisy!!

Edit: The word "onto" in the privacy policy is so dubious. They said we aren't sharing anything onto Facebook. Probably it didn't mean they weren't snooping our data.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#444

I'd love to give up WhatsApp, but network effects are key here. I tried moving my extended family off WhatsApp onto Signal a couple of years ago and it failed miserably because the app wasn't nearly as easy to use, and they had all their friends on Whatsapp. Has anyone here had any success moving a large group of people onto something like Signal or Telegram? If so, do you have any tips?

It's not only about friends. Here in Mexico many small businesses operate with Whatsapp (eg: food delivery, gas delivery, plumber, etc).

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#445

I'd love to give up WhatsApp, but network effects are key here. I tried moving my extended family off WhatsApp onto Signal a couple of years ago and it failed miserably because the app wasn't nearly as easy to use, and they had all their friends on Whatsapp. Has anyone here had any success moving a large group of people onto something like Signal or Telegram? If so, do you have any tips?

WhatsApp is a masterclass in network effects. You can no longer decide whether or not you want to use it. Because your employer uses it, you have no choice but to use it. The only thing that will disrupt this is if security concerns make companies come out and explicitly ask employees not to use WhatsApp and I don't see that happening any time soon.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#446

I'd love to give up WhatsApp, but network effects are key here. I tried moving my extended family off WhatsApp onto Signal a couple of years ago and it failed miserably because the app wasn't nearly as easy to use, and they had all their friends on Whatsapp. Has anyone here had any success moving a large group of people onto something like Signal or Telegram? If so, do you have any tips?

I've used Signal for years, and for most of that time only had about three people who also used it in my contacts. My wife recently got her entire extended family to use Signal. She has always refused to use WhatsApp. They all love Signal now, and use it all the time. However, this was during a family crisis. During the Covid lockdowns, many companies I know used Signal as their preferred non corporate communication…

How did the Covid lockdowns and family crisis in your examples affect the choice between Whatsapp and Signal?

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#447
post #419

I'd love to give up WhatsApp, but network effects are key here. I tried moving my extended family off WhatsApp onto Signal a couple of years ago and it failed miserably because the app wasn't nearly as easy to use, and they had all their friends on Whatsapp. Has anyone here had any success moving a large group of people onto something like Signal or Telegram? If so, do you have any tips?

This is changing rapidly. Many people I know are moving Signal. Also, don’t delete WhatsApp right away. Do a “silent” move: whenever people send you a WhatsApp answer on iMessage if they’re Apple users and actively push the Android friends over to signal. Works well in my case.

I'm taking this approach now too. There's a free text status message as well that's suitable for the purpose.

App is going in February though.

Re: WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

#449

I'd love to give up WhatsApp, but network effects are key here. I tried moving my extended family off WhatsApp onto Signal a couple of years ago and it failed miserably because the app wasn't nearly as easy to use, and they had all their friends on Whatsapp. Has anyone here had any success moving a large group of people onto something like Signal or Telegram? If so, do you have any tips?

My response to anyone is "I'm sorry, but I don't use WhatsApp or Instagram, and I rarely use Facebook because I don't trust them. You can reach me through X, Y, or Z."

If someone refuses to make an actual call, text me, email me, or use Signal, then clearly they don't respect me enough for me to need to communicate with them.

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