{"id":13483,"date":"2021-01-28T22:26:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T16:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stechguide.com\/?p=13483"},"modified":"2021-01-28T22:26:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T16:56:59","slug":"looking-for-a-whatsapp-alternative-here-are-top-five-messaging-apps-for-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stechguide.com\/looking-for-a-whatsapp-alternative-here-are-top-five-messaging-apps-for-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking for a WhatsApp Alternative? Here Are Top Five Messaging Apps for Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago, WhatsApp released a privacy policy update that raised concerns among users. The Facebook-owned chat app sent an in-app alert that sounds like an ultimatum for people who want to continue using the app. Basically, the new privacy policy update requires users to agree to WhatsApp\u00a0<\/span>sharing data<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with its parent company Facebook or forget about the app.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How exactly does the popular messaging app handle user data within Facebook\u2019s family of apps and products? From the update, it\u2019s clear that the company will be collecting tons of telemetry data from your device. This includes phone number, email address, contacts, browser info, and various advertising data.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Messaging Apps That Respect Your Privacy<\/b><\/h3>\n

Apps such as\u00a0Telegram and Signal\u00a0gained millions of users in the first three weeks of January, which seems to be occurring at <\/span>WhatsApp\u2019s expense<\/span><\/a>. If recent privacy issues with Facebook’s-owned messaging app have convinced you to look for a new messaging app, you\u2019ve come to the right place. Here are the top five WhatsApp alternatives to consider.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Signal<\/b><\/h3>\n

Following the controversy, tech billionaire\u00a0<\/span>Elon Musk<\/span><\/a>\u00a0told his millions of followers on Twitter to use Signal. Signal is a free messaging app with end-to-end encrypted messages and calls. Signal is available on both Android and iOS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Telegram<\/b><\/h3>\n

This free messaging app offers the same features as WhatsApp, but more private and secure. Telegram comes with secure end-to-end encryption for chats as well as voice and video calls. Unlike Signal, Telegram already has a large user base.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wickr Me<\/b><\/h3>\n

Are you looking for a free personal chat app offering end-to-end encryption and voice calls? Consider Wickr. Wickr does not store messages or passwords on the app. You can set disappearing messages when using this app.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wire\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Another fantastic WhatsApp alternative, Swiss-based Wire boasts of protection by EU data privacy laws. Messages are end-to-end encrypted and are available for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. Personal accounts are free, but there\u2019s a paid business version of Wire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Threema<\/b><\/h3>\n

Threema is a paid chat application that specializes in privacy and doesn\u2019t require a phone number to create an account. It doesn\u2019t log any data. The app is not as popular as some of the WhatsApp alternatives, but it\u2019s one of the most secure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other Ways to Maintain Your Online Privacy<\/b><\/h3>\n

Apart from switching to a WhatsApp alternative, there are other ways to maintain privacy online. One of the best steps you can take to keep your web surfing sessions private and anonymous is to start using a VPN. A Virtual Private Network refers to an online service that conceals your IP address and encrypts your internet traffic. Get a\u00a0<\/span>VPN app for privacy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and get to surf the web freely and anonymously.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The new terms of service mean Facebook reserves the right to share the data collected within its family of online platforms. But according to WhatsApp, this update doesn\u2019t mean what you think it means. The update, which was to come to effect on February 8, has been delayed for three months to give the company time to explain changes to its privacy policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago, WhatsApp released a privacy policy update that raised concerns among users. The Facebook-owned chat app sent an in-app alert that sounds like an ultimatum for people who want to continue using the app. Basically, the new privacy policy update requires users to agree to WhatsApp\u00a0sharing data\u00a0with its parent company Facebook or <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[12892],"tags":[14404,14403],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nLooking for a WhatsApp Alternative? 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