Signal and WhatsApp: How do they fare?

Both ask for almost similar permissions, save for a few exceptions. They both demand a whopping 43 permissions per user. WhatsApp’s decision to change its privacy policy has again stirred up conversation about data privacy of its users. Suddenly, Signal has become the new go-to app for many people around the world. The Federal looked at the information both these apps, as well as two other popular messaging apps – Telegram and Elyments – demand from its users. It turns out that both ask for almost similar permissions, save for a few exceptions. They both demand a whopping 43 permissions per user. Signal claims that it doesn’t share user data with any third party, unlike WhatsApp. (It is claimed that WhatsApp shares your personal data with Facebook.) The CEO of Signal has also stated that the company is not here to make money from the personal data of people. (https://thefederal.com/news/signals-not-here-to-make-money-from-personal-data-messengers-ceo/) Signal asks for more permissions than WhatsApp. It asks for 43 different permissions from users, while WhatsApp requires 42. These permissions fall under 14 and 13 different categories, respectively. Apps such as Telegram and Elyments ask for fewer permissions. Elyments asks for 29 permissions while Telegram gets 34. The number…
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