Between the changes in WhatsApp’s terms of service, the withdrawal of support for older operating systems and the continuing privacy conflict with Facebook, the owner of WhatsApp on iOS, many people are moving from WhatsApp to other messaging services – Elon Musk included. Today’s poll asks: Did you take a risk and stop using WhatsApp (assuming you used it)?
Changing your messaging app is probably the most difficult thing to do online, except perhaps changing your primary email address. And in large part, this is because it really doesn’t depend on you. We are all stuck using everything our friends and family have, and convincing them to make the leap with you is a Herculean task. (I still need to use Google Hangouts for that reason.)
Here in the United States, this means that things like SMS are still widely used, as it is the basic common denominator among everyone who owns a phone, but in many other markets, WhatsApp dominates. More recently, the tide seems to be turning – which is not unexpected between the intrusive changes to the app’s privacy policy and the negative perceptions that grow around parent company Facebook. We have seen a very vocal impulse from privacy advocates and ordinary people to switch to services like Signal and Telegram, and people seem to be paying attention in a way they never have before.
So, did you switch from WhatsApp to something else? Feel free to send recommendations (if there are any that can help your other readers) or tips for getting friends and family to make the change.
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