Advocating a safer messaging platform
This repo contains the data and sources of information I gathered in connection with the safety and privacy protection options provided by various messaging App.
On Jan 6th, 2021 WhatsApp, the most popular messaging app --currently owned by Facebook, updated its privacy terms. Users suddently started recieving repeated notifications on WhatsApp that users will have to agree to these new terms if they want to continue to use the platform for communication. While the notification gave the users two options, Agree, or make a decision later. A lot of people just went ahead and agreed to the new terms. However several experts in the cyber security spectrum started raising warning flags about the effect of agreeing to the new terms.
A closer look at the changes introduced with the new terms reveals that WhatsApp will allow Facebook to watch the communication by the users with the business entities using WhatsApp on secure hosting solutions provided by Facebook company.
We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way. Instead, this update includes changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.
FAQ on WhatsApp Accessed at 17:22 (IST) 14/01/21
WhatsApp also tried to justify their action by saying, business entities will any way use the information you share with them for marketing/adverticement purposes
But whether you communicate with a business by phone, email, or WhatsApp, it can see what you’re saying and may use that information for its own marketing purposes, which may include advertising on Facebook.
If we go with WhatsApp argument, why is it then a concern and why one should switch from WhatsApp to another application?
The short answer is that, if you find the above is acceptable to you, there is no need to switch the application.
Howver many people (I am one of them) consider it unacceptable and here are the reasons
- When WhatsApp was purchased by Facebook, back in February 2014 for approximately US$19.3 billion, they've announced that WhatsApp will continue to remain a separate entity Source
- WhatsApp has updated their policy in the past regarding sharing the user data with its parent company Facebook. But they've always given an option to the user, whether or not allow WhatsApp. However this new update makes it mandatory for people to allow WhatsApp to share share their personal data with Facebook related services.
- The whole incident once again reveals that how helpless users become when a propritory firm decides to change the norms (even the fundamental ones) with which they acquire the user base. In other words, there is nothing that stops WhatsApp in making another amendment in the future that would allow them to share the private info from private chat also with other parties, including but not limited to Facebook. This is a serious concern.
In tools such as WhatsApp, facebook, or Messenger there is always a limitation on what data is transmitted from the user's devices to the business servers owned by the service provider. This is because there is no easy, independent way to determine what is being collected/send to the servers. THe only possible ways before us is to a. Trust the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use provided by the service provider b. Run heuristic/reverse engineering/sniffing tools determine what data is being collected and sent by the app.
The challenge is that we often do not attempt to understand these matters and try avoid going through the pain of deciphering these complex information. Many, including me, would tend to take the lazy route of accepting whatever is proposed to us.
Remember that many service providers have a notorious record of intruding in to the private information of the users.