Many WhatsApp users are in a fix about whether they should continue with the messaging app or migrate to other similar services that perhaps give them a better sense of privacy and security. One such rival, Telegram Messenger, has seen a massive influx of new users over the weekend, following the Facebook takeover as well as an outage on WhatsApp.
In a sign that WhatsApp users could be fleeing from Facebook, Telegram tweeted on Sunday: “4.95 million people signed up for Telegram today. Telegram is #1 most downloaded iPhone app in 48 countries.” That’s a startling number for an app that in October 2013 had only 100,000 active daily users.
The Facebook deal came just five days after Rakuten bought Viber, another mobile messaging app, for $900 million. But it’s the WhatsApp takeover that has raised more questions and scrutiny - for instance, why is Facebook paying $45 per user to gain functionality it already has?
Here are some of the issues surrounding the deal and its aftermath:
Exactly how secure is WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is free to download, which means it’s a less secure consumer app and not an enterprise chat app. Free apps will never be able to provide premium security like a paid app. For instance, when anyone downloads WhatsApp, the app asks for permission to access the user’s phone book data. But the messaging service also says that no one else using WhatsApp has access to your address book data, unless you decide to share it.
Why was Facebook so interested in WhatsApp from a content viewpoint?
There are obviously a great many reasons. But WhatsApp rifles through your address book to scoop up the phone numbers, as mentioned above. These numbers are then uploaded to its servers. This is something Facebook has wanted for some time since its own phone records are incomplete. Although half of Facebook’s users are mobile, many don’t share their full contact network with it.
What kind of security does a mobile messaging user really need?
Many free apps lack a privacy policy. A good app will declare what it will access on your smartphone, but often these “permissions” are not changeable, meaning users must decide between compromising their privacy or abandoning the app. Following Edward Snowden’s snooping revelations, there’s also a growing interest in a range of mobile phone products with one central selling point: privacy. While most app users can change their privacy settings depending on their needs, but those looking for complete privacy should not use these platforms.
Will there be a user exodus from WhatsApp due to privacy concerns?
In the long-term, this is unlikely. WhatsApp is growing faster than Facebook in certain parts of the world, especially in emerging markets. But at the moment, as in the case of Telegram, several encrypted messaging apps are seeing a boom in signups following WhatsApp’s acquisition by Facebook. Swiss startup Threema, which is a paid app, doubled its user base in 24 hours last week.
Will FaceBook keep WhatsApp separate and ad-free?
Facebook and WhatsApp will remain separate - this is the message repeatedly reinforced by WhatsApp and Facebook management. Facebook’s CEO has said that WhatsApp will continue operating as an independent unit, the same way as Instagram.
Why are so many users flocking to Telegram?
Telegram launched in August 2013, and is run by a team based in Berlin. However, its main financial backer is Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, who says the service “is not intended to bring revenue, it will never sell ads or accept outside investment. It also cannot be sold.” Its main utility is the open API for other developers to build their own apps based on its technology, including versions for Windows and Linux computers.