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WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

reuters.com

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Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#141

Post by throwaway123x2 »

egwor wrote: post #14

I'm so disappointed in this. Whatsapp is a functional tool. It was successful since it worked. Facebook has entirely failed to utilise it - to allow external systems to connect in so that businesses can do business on there. The voice calls are also a disaster. They've now come along to start messing with the privacy to start selling ads. It is insane that they're able to make such a mess of this. Is there a word for…

Whatsapp voice calls are pretty much the only way I can communicate with foreign family. Actually even locally, sometimes whatsapp calls are much better over wifi than cell calls over towers, it's kind of ridiculous. I don't even bother calling frequent contacts over cell any more.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#142

Post by mschuster91 »

pmlnr wrote: post #117
Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whatsapp is what people use in some countries for contacting a restaurant to reserve a table, contacting a bike shop to ask if you can bring your bike down for servicing, etc. It has essentially replaced the public telephone network. Skype was never used that universally.

> It has essentially replaced the public telephone network. I know. And I think it's insane and horrible.

The old style phone companies have no one to blame but themselves though, because their "services" were insane and horrible. Phone calls, SMS and data were a goldmine that they were all too happy to exploit for years until (in the EU) regulators stepped in. International calls or roaming outside the EU is still expensive, even in 2021!

Not to mention that unlike Whatsapp, Facebook or Skype, on POTS/mobile phones you don't have any option to deal with spammers, call ID fraudsters and other bullshit.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#143

Post by sneak »

bkirkby wrote: post #132

In the stickiness of whatsapp, I caused something of a stir with my family. After the prev announcement and having a general distrust of facebook that had grown over the years, I deleted my Facebook account and made the announcement in the family whatsapp group that I was leaving whatsapp and they could join me on signal if they wished. I then deleted my whatsapp account. There was much wailing and grumpiness and som…

This is the correct move. Every person who stays on WhatsApp makes using WhatsApp more useful and attractive.

You have to delete your account there.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#144

Post by btmiller »

pmlnr wrote: post #98
sprkwd wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't feel simple. I installed Signal.

> That doesn't feel simple. What doesn't feel simple from the user perspective? Get https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=im.blabber.mes... , start it, follow the screen. Or https://gajim.org/download/ for desktop, register on first run. Or https://siskin.im/ for iOS, register on first run. If that's not simple enough, we need to nuke the whole smartphone scene. + the steps above were _my_ steps, the steps of…

I’m not sure which reality you live in where begging an individual on desktop to install more things is simple.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#145

Post by sneak »

smashah wrote: post #119

Too big to fail. WhatsApp should be transferred to something like the UN. It is no longer a cool startup/app. It is the main communication infrastructure for the majority of the planet. Yet it's in the hand of unblinking cyborgs.

> It is the main communication infrastructure for the majority of the planet.

The majority of the planet doesn't use the internet.

Only a slight majority of the planet even has the option to use the internet.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#146

Post by Jtsummers »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #139
Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The niche that Whatsapp filled and which brought it to massive adoption was not the same as Skype's. In South America (and Asia, too, if I understand correctly), Whatsapp was a way to avoid SMS charges on your mobile phone. Because now it is the only way many acquaintances and businesses can be contacted, it will remain entrenched even with this hostile new privacy policy. Skype, on the other hand, was about audio- o…

> In South America (and Asia, too, if I understand correctly), Whatsapp was a way to avoid SMS charges on your mobile phone. It was the same in the US, especially for avoiding costly international SMS/MMS charges. It basically allowed me to communicate with international family and friends, since they might not have been as technically inclined to deal with logins and spam on apps like Skype. In addition, at that tim…

Yes, that's true but the keyword is "international". Domestic, within the US, use of WhatsApp was largely driven by having a multinational social network. For people primarily communicating with others within the US, SMS still dominated (or iMessages) over WhatsApp. Whereas, outside the US, WhatsApp was used even with people communicating primarily with others within the same country.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#148

Post by pkulak »

bkirkby wrote: post #132

In the stickiness of whatsapp, I caused something of a stir with my family. After the prev announcement and having a general distrust of facebook that had grown over the years, I deleted my Facebook account and made the announcement in the family whatsapp group that I was leaving whatsapp and they could join me on signal if they wished. I then deleted my whatsapp account. There was much wailing and grumpiness and som…

Somewhat the same for me, though I'm in a bit later stage than you are. I moved my family to Signal as well, but we all got a bit frustrated with the lack of features. No (good) Chromebook support, no message editing, the HARD requirement on owning a phone (which locked out my kids), no message history or even a way to backup messages, etc.

A few weeks ago I spun up a tiny EC2 instance, threw a matrix server on it, and moved us all over to that. It's been wonderful. All the features we want, plus I own the whole thing and therefor can do administrator things like reset passwords.

In a year or two will I regret being forced to admin a remote server that I've since forgotten everything about? History says yes, but who knows. It's been a joy so far.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#149

Post by HenryBemis »

justapassenger wrote: post #86
egwor wrote: post #14

I'm so disappointed in this. Whatsapp is a functional tool. It was successful since it worked. Facebook has entirely failed to utilise it - to allow external systems to connect in so that businesses can do business on there. The voice calls are also a disaster. They've now come along to start messing with the privacy to start selling ads. It is insane that they're able to make such a mess of this. Is there a word for…

> Facebook has entirely failed to utilise it - to allow external systems to connect in so that businesses can do business on there. They weren’t allowed to do that under old TOS, and the whole point of this update is to allow data sharing when contacting businesses, that will allow building business tools. https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/answer...

I understand the objective on making (more) money.

Why have 1bn users and make $1 per user? Isn't it better if then have 200mn users and make $20 per user?

For me this 'shedding freeloaders and privacy-oriented-users' helps them more than not.

We have discussed pricing and volumes of customers before in this forum, multiple times, and for multiple products/services.

Is it better to have 1000 users and make $1 from each ($1000), or it is better to have 100 users and make $50 from each ($5000 and less support/maintenance/infrastructure costs)?

Facebook's obligation is to the shareholders. Shareholders want bigger pie. Shareholders will get a bigger pie. Apparently FB didn't lose enough users to be scared. Reality/facts drive this.

In a related note, I installed Viber. It asked me to share data with advertisers. I tapped to see the list. I scrolled (on my android phone) VERY fast, for 22 seconds to go through it.

Re: WhatsApp to move ahead with privacy update despite backlash

#150

Post by dylan604 »

bkirkby wrote: post #132

In the stickiness of whatsapp, I caused something of a stir with my family. After the prev announcement and having a general distrust of facebook that had grown over the years, I deleted my Facebook account and made the announcement in the family whatsapp group that I was leaving whatsapp and they could join me on signal if they wished. I then deleted my whatsapp account. There was much wailing and grumpiness and som…

>I was genuinely surprised that whatsapp had become so sticky

Why was this surprising? In general, people are lazy, at least creatures of habit if lazy is too strong. They have an app, it works for them, things in the background where they don't even know exists change that affects them zero, and you fly off the handle and disappear. You're the only person that had issues, and you're trying to buck their system.

Just because you (royal you, not you you) have strong moralistic feelings towards a company doesn't mean everyone else in your circles feel the same way. There is no bigger zealot than a new convert, and people get tired of hearing about it. To non-techie types, people screaming out against FB sound just like cult members.

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