WhatsApp vs Signal has been one of the trending questions ever since WhatsApp rolled out its controversial privacy policy. WhatsApp’s new privacy policy has stirred up quite a storm among the people. When compared to other messaging apps WhatsApp and Messenger collect a huge amount of personal data from their users. In turn, WhatsApp will share more data with its parent app Facebook than before.
WhatsApp’s new privacy policy informs how user data is impacted when there is a business interaction. It also provides more information on integration with Facebook.
As for data sharing with Facebook, WhatsApp shares the following user’s information with its parent app:
- Account registration information (mobile number)
- Transaction data from the WhatsApp payments update, if any
- Service-related information
- Device ID
- User ID
- Advertising Data
- Purchase History
- Coarse Location
- Email Address
- Payment Info
- Customer Support
- Product Interaction
- Other User Content
- Contacts
- Product Interaction
- Crash Data
- Performance Data
- Other Diagnostic Data
In the case of Signal, the only data it stores is your phone number. Also Signal doesn’t link your phone number to your identity.
- Phone Number
How is it different from WhatsApp?
Messages sent via Signal are said to have been encrypted, which means that the platform cannot obtain or store personal messages or media on its server. While WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption for texts, it also has access to other personal data such as IP addresses, group details, and status.
In addition, the organization does not encrypt texts stored in the cloud. Even Telegram, a competing messaging app, is said to save a user’s contact number as well as user ID. If the devices are not connected, Signal will stockpile certain messages on its server until they are delivered.
Signal also allows the user to set a registration lock PIN, which aids in the protection of private profile information. This number could also be used to retrieve a user’s profile, settings, and contacts if the device is lost or switched to a new one. Another advantage is that, unlike WhatsApp, Signal is not possessed by a large technology company.
Now comes the question: WhatsApp vs Signal?
Amid all the concerns raised due to WhatsApp’s new privacy policy, many people across the globe have considered, while some have already, switching to the messaging app Signal.
Signal is a well-known messaging app focused on its user’s privacy. Security experts, privacy researchers, and many more people across the globe use this app. Signal seems to be the most private messaging app and as per its privacy details, it doesn’t collect any huge user data.
Signal also underpins WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. There’s just one key difference between WhatsApp and Signal. Signal is open source whereas WhatsApp is closed source. When compared to WhatsApp and Messenger, Signal collects no user data whatsoever.
The only data that Signal acquired is the user’s phone number. Signal does not attempt to link it to your identity. WhatsApp has given its Indian users a deadline that is active until the 8th of February 2021. The deadline gives the users two options: either accept the new privacy policy or delete their account.
There has been an unprecedented rise in the number of users signing up for Signal after WhatsApp announced its new privacy policy. This is also believed be to cause by Elon Musk’s endorsement of the messaging app on Twitter.
