Is now the time to dump WhatsApp? Privacy advocates say yes – Digital Trends

Earlier this year, WhatsApp updated its policy and forced users to accept the changes if they wanted to continue using the app. This move caused heavy backlash for various privacy and security reasons and prompted users to reconsider using the app for personal communication. Fears about user privacy “WhatsApp privacy policy is terrible for user privacy,” says Ashley Simmons, founder of avoidthehack!, a website that promotes online privacy and security awareness. “It requires data sharing with Facebook, doesn’t offer encryption for chat backups, and ‘mines’ the metadata of your messages.” Youssef Sarhan/Unsplash For instance, a WhatsApp blog post published in 2016 reads, “And by connecting your phone number with Facebook’s systems, Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them.”  After concerns like this garnered public attention, WhatsApp came forward with various clarifications, but by then, a lot of users had already started looking for alternatives like Telegram and Signal.  Where does WhatsApp stand now?   Today, WhatsApp still has more than 2 billion active users, but discussions about dumping the app for another, potentially more secure messaging service are still going online.  Should users really consider leaving the app? Do suitable…
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