WhatsApp or Signal? Many Internet users are currently abandoning the instant messaging application owned by Facebook to migrate to a competing solution that respects more privacy. Still hesitating to quit WhatsApp for Signal? To help you choose, we've outlined the main differences between the two services.
Thunderclap at WhatsApp! At the beginning of January, the instant messaging application updated its terms of use. Now, WhatsApp will share some data with Facebook, its parent company since 2014. This merger has not been well received by WhatsApp users.
Annoyed by the announcement, many WhatsApp users turned to the competition. Among the most popular rival applications is Signal. Within a few days, instant messaging recorded an increase of more than 4000% of its downloads. Signal quickly became the most downloaded app on the App Store and Google Play Store around the world.
Who owns WhatsApp and Signal?
WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, the Californian social network developed by Mark Zuckerberg. In 2014, Facebook indeed invested the sum of 16 billion dollars to get its hands on the instant messaging application. The group felt that WhatsApp would quickly become a very popular app around the world. Known for collecting personal data from its users, Facebook does not inspire confidence in many WhatsApp users.
Moreover, the takeover prompted Brian Acton and Jan Koum, co-founders of the application, to resign. Both men strongly opposed Mark Zuckerberg's privacy policy. Brian Acton explains that he regrets having “sold the privacy of his users to Facebook”. In 2021, he even encouraged Internet users to delete their Facebook accounts after the revelations of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
For its part, Signal is developed by the Signal Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in California. “We are not connected to any major technology company and we can never be bought by one of them” explains Signal on its website. Among the founders of the Signal Foundation are Moxie Marlinspike, current CEO of the app, and… Brian Acton.
After his unfortunate experience at WhatsApp, the man invested $ 50 million to develop secure and privacy-friendly messaging. Unlike Facebook, Signal is not listed on the stock exchange and never received any venture capital money. Concretely, there is no real financial pressure on the Signal team to generate profits. “Development is funded by grants and donations from people like you,” Signal also guarantees on its site.
Which application is the most secure?
WhatsApp and Signal rely on the Signal Protocol cryptographic protocol, developed by the team in charge of Signal. This protocol allows end-to-end chats, calls and conversations to be encrypted. Thus, Facebook is not able to view the messages posted on WhatsApp. In this regard, the two messaging applications are very similar. “They operate on the same model. These are mobile applications that identify contacts by their phone number and put them in touch with a conversation using a central server ”explains Gerome Billois, cybersecurity expert at Wavestone, interviewed by RTL.
On the other hand, Signal collects less information about its users than WhatsApp. The application simply retrieves the phone number during registration and the date of installation. In contrast, Facebook seizes the phone numbers, IP address, name of the mobile network, cookies, geographic location and payment information of users. This data is then used by advertisers. Finally, it should be noted that the Signal source code is freely accessible in open source. Developers around the world can view this one anytime to make sure that no loopholes endanger user privacy.
Which messaging system is the easiest to use?
On this point, WhatsApp and Signal are almost identical. The two couriers are available on Android and iOS via an easy-to-use application. They are also accessible on Mac and PC. More minimalist, Signal ignores certain functions offered by WhatsApp, such as message pinning. If you have a basic use of WhatsApp, you will easily find your way around the Signal interface.
We hope that this file has enabled you to choose the instant messaging application you need. If you have decided to change your habits, we invite you to consult our tutorial dedicated to the migration from WhatsApp to Signal. All you have to do is convince your loved ones to follow you. Good luck !
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