WhatsApp is about to change-

I know Whatsapp is a FB product- but many people still use it despite this fact.

Did you guys know that WhatsApp is set to introduce a new feature allowing users to send messages from other messaging apps. This change is due to a mandate from the European Union, which designated Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, as a gatekeeper company and required it to open its services to others. The feature will start with text messages, images, voice messages, videos, and file transfer, with calls and group chats to follow later. Users will need to opt in to this feature to avoid potential spam and scams. The messages from other apps will appear in a separate section at the top of the inbox. It’s unclear which companies will connect to WhatsApp, but the possibility is seen as a positive development.

More info here:

What do you guys think?

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I still think WhatsApp is not a “save”/ “privacy” guarded message app. So I stopped using it a month ago. Told my friends and family to reach me by text(sms)/ calling or Signal.
WhatsApp still is a Meta thing, Meta is a money grabbing and data selling company…
I know that Signal is not yet participating in it, because of the privacy issues of big grab Meta.

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I suggest reading through that “opt in” agrement very carefully. Redirecting all my messages through Meta? Voluntarily? To me it sounds like a dream come through for FB/Meta. Now information gathering is potentailly possible even when the conversation starts outside of their own software.

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I know WhatsApp cannot read our messages due to encryption, however they do log who is speaking, who they’re speaking to, where they’re speaking from (if location is enabled) and when they’re speaking. I guess if you ‘opt-in’ then FB will also log this information, enabling them to link more and more people.

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Do you think they will in the future? You know cave to the pressure?

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I doubt they will.

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I do use WhatsApp because I know others who do. However I predominantly use Signal, text and ProtonMail for communication.

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:point_up_2:t2::point_down:t2: me to.

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My brother in law is a fireman, they use Signal.
My daughter had to use it if she wanted to communicate with the management of her work.
Some off-shore companies also use it.
There is a reason those kind of companies use Signal instead of Whatsapp.
So I doubt it that Signal will integrate with WhatsApp in the near future.

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I feel whatsapp in Europe is similar to iMessage in the US- you get sucked into it because everyone else is on it

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I used both…and indeed, almost no one uses iMessage here in the Netherlands. All WhatsApp.
So I had some strange reactions when I said that I quit WhatsApp. ( are you going to use smoke signals now? )
I just turned it off…. No regrets. :grimacing:

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