WhatsApp recently released an updated terms of service agreement regarding how data is shared with Facebook, its parent company. And now folks are switching from WhatsApp to the messaging app Signal. If you're wondering how the apps are different, here are five things to know.
While WhatsApp collects info like ad data, purchase history, and coarse location, Signal only links your phone number to you. In fact, a recent Apple update showed iMessage actually links less data to you than WhatsApp.
Both WhatsApp and Signal use end-to-end encryption, making your messages decryptable only by the recipient. If you stick with WhatsApp, rest assured that Facebook is not reading your private chats.
You can opt-in to cloud storage on WhatsApp while Signal doesn't have the option to save chat history to the cloud. WhatsApp's unencrypted cloud storage has been considered a security risk among experts. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal is fully open-source.
While not owned by a tech giant like Facebook, Signal got an initial $50 million in backing from WhatsApp cofounder Brian Acton. Now, it's funded by the nonprofit Signal Foundation.
That depends on what you're looking for. Signal's overall security seems to trump WhatsApp's. Both keep your messages private. Either way, the key to protecting your data is understanding what encrypted messaging can and cannot do.