I’ve never really been a fan of WhatsApp as a messenger tool preferring straightforward Texting or iMessage on iPhones! However as its popularity grew amongst friends and family especially in making video calls, I relented and added it to my collection! I knew it had just been purchased by Facebook but seeing as I was still on that platform, it seemed to make sense to use it as long as it appeared to remain independent in its functionality and retained its focus on privacy!
That has all changed over the past year with Facebook being revealed as a significant harvester of personal data and marketing it to goodness knows who! Their role in affecting Democratic processes and allowing the promotion of offensive and extremist views finished it for me and as I mentioned in a previous Post, I deleted my account and haven’t look back!
I cringed every time I opened WhatsApp and saw ‘from Facebook’ at the bottom of the Splash Screen and knew I may have to reconsider keeping the App. All it took was the announcement by WhatsApp that new Terms and Conditions would need to be agreed in February which will seek your agreement to share data with Facebook or you can’t use their App to dump it from my phone! I am not alone in doing this from the outrage that is sweeping the Internet with ex WhatsApp users looking for new secure platforms and in particular Telegram and my favourite, Signal!
I have told friends and family of my decision and on what platform they can find me! They may choose to follow or continue with WhatsApp and I will try hard not to say ‘I told you so!’ when they find themselves bemused at how they were targeted by marketeers on the web or ads popping up in their ‘private chats’ on WhatsApp!
Goodbye WhatsApp and good riddance!
