WhatsApp mandatory data sharing with Facebook

Soldato
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Nottingham
Is there anything out there to allow me to transfer/migrate my WhatsApp messages over to Signal or Telegram ??

Really don't want to loose my history of conversations
 
Caporegime
Joined
20 Jan 2005
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45,617
Location
Co Durham
Well, if Facebook have access to message content (and voice conversation data) then users need to seriously reconsider using this service in a professional context. The amount of handover and confidential information (over voice conversations) is quite staggering within the NHS.

Even worse if you delete whatsapp, all your data remains and even if you use the new delete data built in facility it only deletes stuff at your end, all the messages other people received are still kept.
 

Pho

Pho

Soldato
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18 Oct 2002
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Derbyshire
I'm not trying to argue, but on what grounds do you base this claim? Everything I'm reading so far is pointing me to Telegram as a viable and secure alternative to Whatsapp.

Telegram is probably less private than WhatsApp. It doesn't end-to-end encrypt everything, only secret chats which aren't the default, and they only work for one on one chats. Group chats, I believe, aren't end-to-end encrypted at all. It also apparently syncs your contacts on their server (not sure if the others do this though)

Signal seems to be always end-to-end encrypted and doesn't appear to leak your contacts.

I'm still using WhatsApp mind so what do I know :p
 
Associate
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1 Jun 2014
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UK
I am not fussed either way. Plus with the amount of technologies out there, I am sure there are other 'means' people will use to get your data. Is there really anything you can do apart from unistalling the app. You are now aware of what is coming, it is upto you to determine the next step.
 
Man of Honour
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Falling...
Threads like this just serve to make me realise how anti-social I’ve become in recent years. Obviously I’ve heard of WhatsApp but I’ve never used it. Not because of some moral ‘because privacy’ objection or because I’m some kind of hipster who will only champion the latest obscure alternative, but simply because it’s never come up. On xmas day I was asked for the first time whether I had the app on my phone. That it was my mum asking probably just makes it worse.

I'm super antisocial (more like anti social media) but I've had lots of normal calls on the phone over the last year which is much better than a text message.
 
Soldato
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Moving...
Maybe I'm being naiive, but I don't get what all the fuss is about. They can't see the content of your messages. Who cares if Facebook have your IP address, or know your battery level, or how often you use the app and for how long? To be honest, I'm suprised facebook didn't already have this information seeing as they own WhatsApp.

I get that some people like to be as private as possible, but what data specifically are people concerned about Facebook now having that they didn't previously, and why are you concerned about it? It's a genuine question, I'm not trying to provoke!!
 

mrk

mrk

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Let's see, to be shown relevant ads that I "might" take interest in or be shown random ads that I will never be interested in? (I also use ad blockers in my browsers so don't see ads anywhere anyway).

Maybe I'm being naiive, but I don't get what all the fuss is about. They can't see the content of your messages. Who cares if Facebook have your IP address, or know your battery level, or how often you use the app and for how long? To be honest, I'm suprised facebook didn't already have this information seeing as they own WhatsApp.

I get that some people like to be as private as possible, but what data specifically are people concerned about Facebook now having that they didn't previously, and why are you concerned about it? It's a genuine question, I'm not trying to provoke!!

I am inclined to agree, whilst privacy in this day and age is important, there's no getting around nod being data mined anywhere we interact with the internet and apps and it is simply wasted energy trying to fight against this sort of thing. As long as it's being used to target relevant things to the user then there isn't really an issue and is the better option than being targeted with non-relevant ads or services.

As for battery usage in WA/FB etc, personally not seen an issue on a Galaxy S20 although I do know some OEM phones do seem to not handle background usage patterns effectively.

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Soldato
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Aquilonem Londinensi
Until people are willing to pay a proper amount for a good service, apps like this will exist.

Wonder how much that advert data is worth to FB? I've no issue with free stuff like WhatsApp existing for the benefit of the owner, but I think they should offer a paid for version that opts you out of all data mining and middle man snooping
 

LiE

LiE

Caporegime
OP
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2 Aug 2005
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Milton Keynes
What I realised is that the majority of my contacts have iPhones, so we are messaging using WhatsApp out of habit. Since removing WhatsApp, I'm using iMessage way more.

Only my wife has Android, and we now use Telegram.
 
Caporegime
Joined
7 Nov 2004
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30,194
Location
Buckinghamshire
What I realised is that the majority of my contacts have iPhones, so we are messaging using WhatsApp out of habit. Since removing WhatsApp, I'm using iMessage way more.

Only my wife has Android, and we now use Telegram.

This is the issue, people having different phones, WhatsApp gives a form of cross-platform usage and obviously offers more over standard SMS. Most of my other halves family have idevices, but they ALL use Whatsapp.
 
Soldato
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12 Dec 2003
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Wiltshire
Signal (for me at least) seems to have hit a brick wall today and failing/delaying to send a lot of my messages. Doesn't look like it can cope with the exodus from WhatsApp.
 

Pho

Pho

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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9,324
Location
Derbyshire
Signal (for me at least) seems to have hit a brick wall today and failing/delaying to send a lot of my messages. Doesn't look like it can cope with the exodus from WhatsApp.

Lots of people are having issues apparently. I'm sure they can sort it pretty easily mind.

https://twitter.com/signalapp/status/1350118809860886528

This is the issue, people having different phones, WhatsApp gives a form of cross-platform usage and obviously offers more over standard SMS. Most of my other halves family have idevices, but they ALL use Whatsapp.

I found out the other day that apparently lots of people in the US have either never heard of it or don't use it in favour or some of the other apps, whereas over here / Europe it seems it's used by everyone.
 
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