Ask HN: How would you convince your friends and family to switch from WhatsApp?

Post by tmpz22 » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 8:32 PM UTC

Ansil849 wrote: post #89

I have stopped communicating with friends and family who try communicating via insecure apps. I send a response saying I will only read Signal or similar messages from them. Some think this is a hardline, but my security is important to me, and true friends and family need to respect that. It's kind of like how my sister is vegan, so when she comes over for dinner, I cook vegan dishes for her. I respect and accommoda…

Post by jdlyga » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 8:34 PM UTC

Post by andreygrehov » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 8:36 PM UTC

Krasnol wrote: post #126

andreygrehov wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am 100% serious. I get the "ad-free public internet" nostalgia, but ads is an inevitable component of our economy. The good old internet was good only because it was something new and unknown. The very first newspapers did not have ads. 100 years after, Benjamin Franklin pulled the trigger and started a column for advertisers to promote their products and services. Ads are valuable. They can make a huge difference…

> it's actually in a user's best interest to allow the data to be shared. Otherwise doctors will see ads about vaping and fishers will see ads about the latest JavaScript IDEs Who the hell do you think you are to decide what is in my best interest? You are attempting to STEAL my attention. This is abusive behaviour. I don't want this! Also: If I go on a page for fishing stuff, the shop is free to advertise certain fi…

Post by baq » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 8:42 PM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #96

mbesto wrote: post #85

I just did it with my family, who use FB and know at a high level why FB is bad. Here's what I said: "WhatsApp is now sucking all of your convos (including baby photos, etc.) into Facebook with their recent policy update. We're switching our family group chat to Signal". My mom, who's nearly 70 did it almost instantaneously. EDIT: My parents began to understand why FB is bad by reading books and watching documentarie…

That may be a good motivator, but it's not true. The content of the messages are not going to be "sucked up into Facebook." The content of Whatsapp messages aren't accessible by Facebook.

Post by ketanmaheshwari » Thu, Jan 07, 2021, 8:47 PM UTC

tmpz22 wrote: post #131

Ansil849 wrote: post #89

I have stopped communicating with friends and family who try communicating via insecure apps. I send a response saying I will only read Signal or similar messages from them. Some think this is a hardline, but my security is important to me, and true friends and family need to respect that. It's kind of like how my sister is vegan, so when she comes over for dinner, I cook vegan dishes for her. I respect and accommoda…

Does your family's threat model actually include targeted surveillance by US intelligence agencies? There are many reasons to switch off whatsapp, but I don't believe it should be considered insecure unless you are a journalist, activist, or citizen of a country with severe oppressive regimes: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, etc. If your threat model DOES include US intelligence agencies, you shouldn't use…