Since WhatsApp announced that it was modifying its terms of use, users around the world are opting for other mobile messaging applications.
In this way, Signal and Telegram, the main rivals of WhatsApp, experienced a large increase in downloads.
The two platforms claim to have strict policies for data protection and security of their users’ communications.
While , a few days ago WhatsApp announced that its users outside the European region must allow it to share their information with its parent company, Facebook.
Those who do not accept the new terms of use before February 8, They will not be able to continue using WhatsApp.
According to analysts, this drastic change is behind the exodus of recent days.
WhatsApp’s competition
Telegram and Signal have been offering free encrypted messaging services for years.
According to signature data Sensor Tower analysis, Signal had 272. 10 downloads the week prior to the announcement of WhatsApp of January 4.
In the following week it reached 8.8 million new users.
In countries like India, downloads went from 11. 000 to 2.7 million.
In the United Kingdom the increase was 7. 400 to 191. 000 and in the United States of 63. 000 to 1.1 million.
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In a series of tweets, Signal even pointed out that there were problems with the creation of groups and delays in the arrival of the verification codes (security measure implemented by the application ) due to its rapid expansion, but said it was fixing them.
“Our new servers are ready,” the platform reported on 10 January.
The courier service received the endorsement of the founder of Tesla, Elon Musk.
Edward Snowden, former technology consultant for the CIA and the US National Security Agency, also promotes the use of this platform.
“I use it every day and I’m not dead yet” , he wrote on Twitter.
Here’s a reason: I use it every day and I’m not dead yet. https://t.co/Trhgqbwdpj
– Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 7, 2014
Telegram, For its part, it had 6.5 million downloads worldwide in the last week of December and reached the 11 millions in the seven days after WhatsApp announced.
Only in the United States it went from 400. 00 new users to 671. 10 in that period.
In a message to its users, this Tuesday the application reported that it exceeded 500 millions of people who use the platform and that only in the last 72 hours had 25 millions of downloads worldwide.
“Thank you! These achievements were possible thanks to users like you who invite their friends to Telegram ”, said the platform.
Will there be a change?
During the same period, global WhatsApp downloads fell from 11, 3 million to 9.2 million.
Despite this, Craig Chapple, Sensor Tower mobile data analyst , notes that this does not necessarily mean a big problem for WhatsApp, which leads 5. 600 million of downloads since its launch in 2014.
“It will be difficult for rivals to break users’ habits , and it will continue to be one of the most popular and used messaging platforms in the world “, he indicated.
Chapple points out that” it will be interesting “to see if this trend favorable to Signal and Telegram continues or if the users return to the message platform to which it is
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Faced with criticism, WhatsApp clarified that the data it will share with Facebook they will not include messages, groups or call logs.
But it will share with its parent company the phone number associated with the user’s name. Also the brand and model of the phone that it uses and the company with which it obtains the service.
Another of the most controversial aspects is that the internet protocol (IP) addresses will be shared, with which the location of a person’s connections can be established.
Also any payment and financial transaction made through WhatsApp, how long the person uses the application and even the lists of contacts .
This data will not only be shared with Facebook. They may be disclosed to Instagram and Messenger, which also belong to the social network founded by Mark Zuckerberg.
“The privacy policy and updates to the conditions are common in the industry and we are advising users with ample anticipation to review the changes, which will take effect on February 8, “a Facebook spokesperson told AFP news agency.
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