WhatsApp: Difference between revisions

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{{InfoboxCompany

{{ToneWarning}}{{InfoboxCompany

| Name = WhatsApp

| Type =Subsidiary

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{{Main|WhatsApp updates privacy policy and millions of users flee the platform}}

There was a widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update, relating the data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its chats on Facebook servers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=12 Jan 2021 |title=WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving all your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112161057/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |archive-date=12 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref> The update received a broader concern, causing millions of users to flee the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hern |first=Alex |date=24 Jan 2021 |title=WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124165416/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |archive-date=24 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

==="Advanced chat privacy"===

The "advanced chat privacy" feature reduces data portability by disabling chat exporting. Chat exporting lets you export the entire chat history and optionally media attachments into a ZIP file. This can now be remotely disabled by the other participant, meaning the user is at the mercy of the other participant to allow exporting.

There are legitimate reasons for exporting chats such as backups in a human-readable and non-proprietary format, pre-empting erroneous account terminations (yes, [https://karl-voit.at/cloud they do happen]), searching using external tools, and preserving good memories with people, including with deceased people (see [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj5dxoMY-dE Ed Sheeran - Old Phone]). And if you don't trust someone to keep something secret, you shouldn't send it in the first place, just as you would not tell them in real life.

The developers of WhatsApp have threatened with [[screenshot blocking|blocking screenshots]] inside chats with "advanced chat privacy" enabled:

The company has stated that this is the first iteration of the feature, with plans to introduce even more robust protections in future updates, potentially including measures to block screenshots.

</blockquote>

<ref>[http://archive.today/2025.07.07-200053/https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-advanced-chat-privacy-feature/ WhatsApp’s New Advanced Chat Privacy Feature to Protect Sensitive Conversations]</ref>

==Mandatory updates==

Frequent enforced updates are another reason against using WhatsApp. WhatsApp holds all your conversations hostage until you install their update. They could have made outdated versions read-only, letting you access existing conversations but not send anything until you update, but instead they chose to lock you out entirely.

What if you are in a location with no internet connection and unable to download the update but you need urgent access to a conversation? What if your device is suddenly no longer supported? You lose all your conversations.

==Alternatives==

* [https://www.signal.org Signal] offers most of the same features, and while [[Signal data collection|not without some issues]], the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design and is operated by a non-profit.

*[https://www.signal.org Signal] offers most of the same features, and while [[Signal data collection|not without some issues]], the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design and is operated by a non-profit.

* [https://matrix.org/ Matrix] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than a commercial messenger.

*[https://matrix.org/ Matrix] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than a commercial messenger.

* [https://telegram.org/ Telegram] is the most popular alternative and end-user friendly, ~~but has been criticized for its minimalist approach to~~ content moderation ~~and, prior~~ to a September 2024 policy change, ~~its refusal~~ to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lily |last=Jamali |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref>

*[https://telegram.org/ Telegram] is the most popular alternative and end-user friendly, with minimal content moderation. Prior to a September 2024 policy change, it refused to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lily |last=Jamali |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref>

==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{InfoboxCompany
+{{ToneWarning}}{{InfoboxCompany
 | Name = WhatsApp
 | Type =Subsidiary
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 {{Main|WhatsApp updates privacy policy and millions of users flee the platform}}
 There was a widespread backlash over an upcoming privacy policy update, relating the data-sharing procedures with Facebook. It outlined how businesses who use WhatsApp for customer service may store logs of its chats on Facebook servers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=12 Jan 2021 |title=WhatsApp clarifies it’s not giving all your data to Facebook after surge in Signal and Telegram users |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112161057/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification |archive-date=12 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=The Verge}}</ref> The update received a broader concern, causing millions of users to flee the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hern |first=Alex |date=24 Jan 2021 |title=WhatsApp loses millions of users after terms update |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124165416/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jan/24/whatsapp-loses-millions-of-users-after-terms-update |archive-date=24 Jan 2021 |access-date=6 Mar 2025 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>
+==="Advanced chat privacy"===
+The "advanced chat privacy" feature reduces data portability by disabling chat exporting. Chat exporting lets you export the entire chat history and optionally media attachments into a ZIP file. This can now be remotely disabled by the other participant, meaning the user is at the mercy of the other participant to allow exporting.
+There are legitimate reasons for exporting chats such as backups in a human-readable and non-proprietary format, pre-empting erroneous account terminations (yes, [https://karl-voit.at/cloud they do happen]), searching using external tools, and preserving good memories with people, including with deceased people (see [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj5dxoMY-dE Ed Sheeran - Old Phone]). And if you don't trust someone to keep something secret, you shouldn't send it in the first place, just as you would not tell them in real life.
+The developers of WhatsApp have threatened with [[screenshot blocking|blocking screenshots]] inside chats with "advanced chat privacy" enabled:
+<blockquote>
+The company has stated that this is the first iteration of the feature, with plans to introduce even more robust protections in future updates, potentially including measures to block screenshots.
+</blockquote>
+<ref>[http://archive.today/2025.07.07-200053/https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-advanced-chat-privacy-feature/ WhatsApp’s New Advanced Chat Privacy Feature to Protect Sensitive Conversations]</ref>
+==Mandatory updates==
+Frequent enforced updates are another reason against using WhatsApp. WhatsApp holds all your conversations hostage until you install their update. They could have made outdated versions read-only, letting you access existing conversations but not send anything until you update, but instead they chose to lock you out entirely.
+What if you are in a location with no internet connection and unable to download the update but you need urgent access to a conversation? What if your device is suddenly no longer supported? You lose all your conversations.
 ==Alternatives==
-* [https://www.signal.org Signal] offers most of the same features, and while [[Signal data collection|not without some issues]], the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design and is operated by a non-profit.
+*[https://www.signal.org Signal] offers most of the same features, and while [[Signal data collection|not without some issues]], the app is open source, relies on Privacy by Design and is operated by a non-profit.
-* [https://matrix.org/ Matrix] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than a commercial messenger.
+*[https://matrix.org/ Matrix] is more private and uses a federated design, but setup is slightly more involved than a commercial messenger.
-* [https://telegram.org/ Telegram] is the most popular alternative and end-user friendly, but has been criticized for its minimalist approach to content moderation and, prior to a September 2024 policy change, its refusal to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lily |last=Jamali |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref>
+*[https://telegram.org/ Telegram] is the most popular alternative and end-user friendly, with minimal content moderation. Prior to a September 2024 policy change, it refused to hand over user data to law enforcement upon request.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Lily |last=Jamali |title=Telegram will now provide some user data to authorities |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |website=BBC |date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=22 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923225048/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglp0xny3eo |archive-date=23 Sep 2024}}</ref>
 ==References==