Why WhatsApp’s New Privacy Rules Sparked an Exodus By Nate Lanxon | Bloomberg Jan. 12, 2021 at 10:17 a.m. GMT+8 Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp has begun alerting its 2 billion users of an update to its privacy policy -- and if they want to keep using the popular messaging app, they have to accept it. The new terms, delivered in early 2021, have caused an outcry among technology experts, privacy advocates, billionaire entrepreneurs and government organizations and triggered a wave of defections to rival services. WhatsApp says the change is necessary to help it integrate better with other Facebook products. 1. What does the policy say? More..... https://www.washingtonpost.com/busi...110c2a-540c-11eb-acc5-92d2819a1ccb_story.html
....Technology billionaire Elon Musk endorsed rival app Signal to his 42 million Twitter Inc. followers. The registration service for Signal crashed after an influx of new users overwhelmed its servers. On Jan 10., it tweeted: “We continue to shatter traffic records and add capacity as more and more people come to terms with how much they dislike Facebook’s new terms.”
.....WhatsApp is now reserving the right to share data it collects about you with the broader Facebook network, which includes Instagram, regardless of whether you have accounts or profiles there.....
Signal and Telegram downloads surge after WhatsApp says it will share data with Facebook PUBLISHED TUE, JAN 12 202112:41 AM EST Arjun Kharpal https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/12/sig...rge-after-update-to-whatsapp-data-policy.html KEY POINTS Downloads of privacy-focused messaging apps Signal and Telegram got a boost as users looked for alternatives to Facebook-owned WhatsApp. The surge comes after WhatsApp updated its terms of service agreement that appears to give users little choice to opt out of sharing data with parent company Facebook. Signal claims to have “state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption” as part of its service, which prevents messages from being read by those who are not the intended recipient.