Users of the messaging applications Telegram and Signal have skyrocketed since WhatsApp announced changes to its ‘terms and privacy’ policy to integrate their data with Facebook.
Telegram and Signal users see a huge increase after changes in WhatsApp’s privacy policy
More than 100,000 users have installed Signal at Apple and Google application stores in the past two days, while Telegram has been downloaded nearly 2.2 million times, according to data analysis firm Sensor Tower.
Telegram’s co-founder, Pavel Durov, recently stated that the reason millions of users are moving to its platform is that it “respects the users” and that WhatsApp is “unable to compete in quality and privacy” which has allowed Telegram to currently hosting more than 500 million Internet users worldwide.
Privacy comparison: WhatsApp vs Telegram vs Signal
WhatsApp privacy features
WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook in 2014 for $22 billion, this year sent out a notification asking users to accept changes in its privacy policy, which must be accepted by February 8 to continue using the app in 2021.
Although the integration will not imply that Facebook will have access to users’ private conversations, some data such as phone number, application usage times, basic profile information, IP address, among others, will be available to the company led by Mark Zuckerberg.
The application also collects information about user activity, for example, related to settings, interaction with companies, and frequencies, as well as device diagnostics (model, operating system, battery charge level, time zone, among others).
Telegram privacy features
Telegram is a free messaging platform launched in 2013 by brothers Nikolái and Pável Dúrov that offers multiplatform services and can be downloaded from Android and iOS devices.
It also provides content hosting, user search, personalized themes, calls, contact synchronization, supergroup, and an encryption method that guarantees the security of the messages, among other possibilities.
“Unlike Facebook, Telegram does not spend money, let alone billions of dollars on marketing. We believe that people are smart enough to choose what is best for them,” added Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov in a posting on the platform.
Signal privacy features
Signal offers a simple but secure instant messaging service based on an open-source protocol to focus on the privacy of its users while sending free messages, voice notes, photos, videos, GIFs, and files.
It also provides the ability to make calls and video calls. “Neither we can read your messages or listen to your calls, nor anyone else,” they say from the company about the end-to-end encryption process that is implemented for their chats and calls.