this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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[–] [email protected] 115 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This article didn't really give any new reasons not to use WhatsApp. All the reasons stated in the article are already known. I thought this article was about a new breach or something, but it's a rehash of info that's been around a while. The article is also a few months old, dating back to April.

If there's one thing I've learned, people will use whatever app they're most comfortable with and whatever app their friends use, regardless of security ("I got nothing to hide!") or features ("I don't care about x or y!"). Then you end up like me, using several different apps. That's not necessarily a bad thing as I like using different apps and seeing how features differ from app to app, like how an app shows link previews, or if it can display a meme by pasting the link in the text box vs having to download the image and attach it in-line. But it's hard to get people to switch when a lot of people don't care.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

@cultsuperstar

Then you end up like me, using several different apps. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as I like using different apps and seeing how features differ from app to app, like how an app shows link previews, or if it can display a meme by pasting the link in the text box vs having to download the image and attach it in-line.

I want to thank you for this comment. You made me think of something that felt like my mind was expanding a bit. You're mentioning a kind of personal decentralized attitude towards what apps we use.

Why stuck to just one? Why put all eggs in one basket? Yeah, I know it's more comfortable. But being comfortable does not make it safe, failure-proof. With this I'm not trying to point out some faux-pas on your thinking. Rather the reverse. You're hinting at something that bears a lot of meaning.

Instead of me being frustrated because other people won't change their platforms, I can see that as an opportunity to decentralize my own practices. I can embrace other people's immobility as both an example of what I should avoid and of being forced to keep a lot of channels open. While they're stuck into the centralization trap, I'm federating between different instances.

Again, thank you for your comment. It was really eye opening.

[–] ProfessorFlaw 93 points 1 year ago (12 children)

The problem is everybody is using it and its impossible to move to signal etc

[–] Anders429 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Dang, I'm feeling pretty lucky that no one in my life uses WhatsApp. Sounds like that's not the norm.

[–] ProfessorFlaw 12 points 1 year ago (3 children)

In europe literally everybody uses whatsapp you wont be able to do anything without it (docotrs, food delivery, literally every person like friends and familly, corona test results, company customer support, the list goes on)

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

That's grossly exaggerated. I live in western Europe and never once used WhatsApp. There are very occasional frictions, like people being surprised I don't have it. Then when I explain that it's operated by Facebook, they are also surprised and sometimes are willing to quit themselves.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I live in Europe and I don’t use WhatsApp. Never have. Hasn’t been a problem for me.

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[–] scottywh 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's not nearly as common in the US as it seems to be in many places in Europe.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Also all of South America. Everything from ordering pizza to scheduling a doctor's appointment. Not having WhatsApp means you are not able to participate in society

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[–] PlutoniumAcid 15 points 1 year ago

EVERYONE in my backwater country of residence uses WhatsApp and they can't be bothered to use anything else.

When I say I don't have that service then they are stumped and can't think of a way to message me. Fucking morons.

Adults in Austria... Sigh.

[–] Jujuki 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not only everybody, but companies, banks and goverment instances are using it too. Some apps that sends their OTP via WhatsApp. Some companies and instances only reachable.via whatsapp bot and whatnot.

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[–] Synthead 92 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It's owned by meta, which is notoriously bad with your privacy.

Saved you a click.

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[–] [email protected] 88 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What if I'm already not using it?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

what if love isn't enough?

[–] Viking_Hippie 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What if love? Baby don't hurt me

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[–] Mantis_Toboggan 75 points 1 year ago (14 children)

As someone from Latin America. FUCK!

It’s literally what everyone uses for business, family/friends groups. Don’t know if any country around here is an exception, but we started using it because greedy telecoms were charging so much money for SMS at the time. So, it was a great way to circumvent that.

Then Facebook bought it when it was already established, so it’s improbable that people will move away from it.

[–] Screwthehole 44 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The article isn't very, uh, articulate in its reasoning. Nothing here is an actual real life problem it's all just what-ifs, and 2 billion people aren't going to quit using it

[–] zaph 49 points 1 year ago (2 children)

A teen in Nebraska was sentenced to 3 months in jail because Facebook turned over her "private" messages but sure, no real life problems with trusting meta with your "encrypted" messages.

[–] grabyourmotherskeys 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I do not disagree with your basic premise and I completely disagree with the Nebraska prosecution but I think people need to understand that everything we do online it's monitored.

If they can't get the actual message data, they will use meta data (e.g. two parties sending and receiving data packets that match in size and time of occurrence and protocol and are known to each other) or whatever.

If you are doing something you are worried about other people knowing about, do not use any digital form of communication. Full stop. There is no privacy online.

[–] zaph 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're absolutely right, there's no privacy online. But there are significantly better alternatives that offer end to end encryption and sometimes digital communication is required.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That was Facebook Messenger too, completely different app and problem, not that Whatsapp isnt better or worse.

[–] zaph 5 points 1 year ago

I used it as an example because they're both owned by meta and make similar promises on privacy and encryption.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Time to move to Telegram/Signal

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago

Signal. Just signal

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 1 year ago

The day it was bought by Meta(Facebook) people should have moved away if you ask me.
Then again that's easy for me to say as someone who doesn't talk to anyone and so doesn't need any messenger apps. However I hear Signal is good.

[–] ohlaph 49 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I haven't used it since it was purchased by Facebook.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I seem to remember that the former owner of Whatsapp recommended people NOT use it after he sold it to Zuck.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago

He financed Signal app after walking away from meta and an addition 3/4 of a billion or something like that. He publicly stated that they’re evil. When financing Signal App his one stipulation was don’t do that

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I would like more clickbait title please, thanks.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] kylostillreigns 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Despite all of its privacy concerns, one can't really get rid of it if everyone around is using it as the default communication mode, unless you're a social outcast. The thing with communication apps is that they aren't a personal choice.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Ungh, my family all uses it. So I’m kind of forced to use it only for one chat as were all far away. I seriously DON’T want it on my phone though.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Deleted whatsapp in 2016 and never looked back.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Anymore? I've literally never used it. Refused to, even.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Google is pushing RCS pretty hard in a lot of markets. It supplants SMS functionality, and in Google's own "Messages" app, it operates in a way that the end user doesn't have to actively select one oro the other.

RCS also has all (or most of) the features you see in other apps like WhatsApp, etc. It has the potential for end-to-end encryption in the spec, and Google says it's on by default when both parties in a conversation support it, but I don't know if that's actually true or marketing bullshit.

Here's to hoping Google will stick with this one long enough for the standard to take hold. RCS is what messaging should be.

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[–] jesterraiin 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

And lose the ability to interact with all those people that won't be convinced to switch to less of a software gore?

Yeah, definitely great idea, so rebel & stuff...

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

You should read about EU's proposed law DMA. It aims to solve this problem of not being able to contact friends if you uninstall WhatsApp (or any other app). The link explains it better lol

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

I have a distrust of just about all things corporate. That's reason enough for me not to use it.

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