Last week, the introduction of new terms of service on WhatsApp sparked heated controversy among the users most concerned about their personal data. So much so that the app has been dethroned by others, supposedly more privacy-friendly, on download platforms.
As of February 8, users who refuse the new WhatsApp terms of service will no longer be able to access their account (until they change their mind). But why is this particular policy change questioning, where we usually click “accept” without even seeing the new terms?
WhatsApp already shares your data with Facebook since 2016
First,
you have to understand that this update of the T & Cs is less
anecdotal than it seems. Bought in 2014 by Facebook, WhatsApp has so far
enjoyed a somewhat special status in the application ecosystem of Mark
Zuckerberg's company. Admittedly, WhatsApp has become a property of
Facebook, but no data had previously passed between the two entities,
thus respecting WhatsApp's initial promise regarding the confidentiality
of exchanges.
However, the situation changed for the first time
in 2016. On the occasion of a major update of its terms of use, instant
messaging announced that it was going to share the phone number of its
users with Facebook, as well as other seemingly unimportant metadata
(what type of device is used, for example). At the time, WhatsApp gave
its users 30 days to accept or decline this sharing of information
between the two companies. In the event of a refusal, the application
ensured that this choice would be respected, and that no data would be
sent to Facebook.
After this 30-day cooling-off period, the
consent of users who had not yet given their opinion on the matter had
been validated by default. The same was then true for new WhatsApp
users, who the app never asked for permission again before sharing their
data with Facebook.
What will change on February 8?
It will not have escaped anyone's
notice that Facebook has sought for years to build its services around a
common foundation. The desire to create a single messaging service,
transversal to Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram also illustrates this
project.
While it does not appear to be working to consolidate
this particular edifice, the revision of WhatsApp's privacy policy is
motivated by the desire to 'operate, provide, improve, understand,
personalize, support and market our services', asserts the company. A
more cynical way of putting it would be that all the metadata from a
WhatsApp account can be thrown into the same cauldron that is already
collected by Messenger, Facebook and Instagram.
The goal is to
further refine the company's predictive algorithms to make targeted
advertising more relevant. It also shows a maneuver to monetize WhatsApp
which, despite having some 2.5 billion users worldwide, is not yet
making money for its owner.
The nuance of these new terms of
service is that Facebook and its affiliates now reserve the right to
subsequently share this data with 'third party entities' (other
companies) when WhatsApp interacts with them. A process that is
obviously invisible to the user, who at this stage no longer has any
control over the destination of his personal data.
But what data
are we talking about exactly? In detail, this is the phone number of the
user, that of all his contacts, the name and profile photo used,
messages published in 'status' as well as the timestamp of the last
connection. , and various telemetry data from the application logs.
Europe so far spared by these changes
While European users have
been offered to accept the new WhatsApp terms of service, it is
important to note that their implementation differs from other parts of
the world.
In fact, under the barriers erected by the General
Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), adopted in 2018, WhatsApp's new
privacy policy will only concern holders of a WhatsApp Business account
in Europe. In other words: businesses.
A lot of noise for nothing
? Not really. Because as we pointed out in a previous article, this
policy change comes a few weeks after Apple reworked the way in which
the privacy policies of the applications listed on the App Store are
displayed.
Clearer, these now require publishers to list
precisely what data is collected on users, and whether or not they allow
its identification. A new exercise, in which WhatsApp (and Facebook
applications in general) are not, but then not at all comfortable.
What if now is the right time to change your mailbox?
As many
other articles on the subject have shown, WhatsApp collects no less than
25 'data points' from its users. While messages and their content
remain encrypted and therefore unreadable by anyone other than the
recipient, the app can know who you're sending messages to, from where,
how often you connect, and more. To put it another way: apart from the
content of your messages, there isn't much private on WhatsApp.
However,
let's admit that WhatsApp always does better than Messenger, the other
big messenger stamped with Facebook, which allows itself to take no less
than 160 (!) Data points from its users. In addition, Messenger
messages are not encrypted, their content is perfectly readable by
anyone authorized to browse Facebook's databases (employees, potential
hackers).
read also: Unusual: the Signal Advance company takes advantage of the WhatsApp controversy and flies on the stock market
If, as we said above, there is nothing to be offended by the new privacy policies of WhatsApp, the controversy that resulted has at least had the merit of putting data privacy at the center. public debate, and create a call for air to other messaging services that are more respectful of the privacy of its users.
What are the most privacy-friendly messaging services?
If you've
read our extensive file on personal data protection, you already know
that the best way to preserve your privacy is not to have a smartphone,
and to limit your Internet use as much as possible. But since you are
reading these lines (and I am writing these words), it is understandable
that this is not an ideal solution in 2021.
Luckily, there are
plenty of apps out there that put data privacy above everything else,
whether it's note-taking, web browsing or, of course, messaging.
We
believe it is important to stress first the importance of data
encryption. As we sketched above, if a messaging system does not
guarantee end-to-end encryption of exchanges, the messages can be read
by the providers of the service in question (for example: Messenger,
Instagram, Snapchat, Viber).
Most recommendable: Signal
You've heard this name for days, not
daring to ask why everyone is suddenly so excited about a brand of
toothpaste. There is nothing to be ashamed of. If you're new to Signal,
it's for a simple reason: the app was only popular among the select club
of people with a keen interest in data protection on the Internet.
But
things have changed recently. As the WhatsApp terms of service debacle
reached its peak, one Elon Musk took to Twitter to advise his followers
to use Signal. Since then, the app has been at the top of downloads in
the 'Social' category of the Google and Apple stores.
Recall that
while Elon Musk's recommendation greatly popularized the application,
it also owes a great deal to Edward Snowden, who has now been telling
anyone who wants to hear it for over six years how much he thinks of
Signal.
The application would have registered more than 100,000
new users between January 7 and 8, reports the Reuters news agency. And
for good reason: it works more or less the same way as WhatsApp.
Equipped
with a very clear interface, it offers the same functionalities as its
competitor, while guaranteeing complete encryption of exchanges
(WhatsApp also uses the same encryption protocol as Signal). Here, even
voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted. Additionally, the one
and only point of data Signal collects about its users is their phone
number - needed to create an account. No other information is collected
within the application.
read also: Windows 10X: First Glimpses of Microsoft's Response to Chrome OS
The most tricolor: Olvid
In the same vein as Signal, the French
application Olvid deserves a spotlight. Launched in 2018 by Thomas
Baignères, this messaging prides itself on being 'the safest in the
world' thanks to a unique end-to-end encryption protocol, ensuring not
only the security of the messages but also of the metadata linked to
them.
How? 'Or' What ? By removing the 'intermediary' represented
by the server which, in the case of other encrypted applications, acts
as a directory connecting a sender and a recipient. How do two people
come into contact then? Simply by exchanging (via another means
therefore) a unique four-digit code that acts as an identifier.
So
Olvid doesn't even need to collect the user's phone number. In fact, to
our knowledge, Olvid is the only messenger that does not collect any
personal data from its users.
The most problematic: Telegram
We allow ourselves a digression to
overcome a problem of ignorance, or rather of urban legend. No,
Telegram is not an encrypted messaging app.
There is indeed a
feature that allows end-to-end encrypted messages to be exchanged on
Telegram, but it only concerns 'secret exchanges' between two people; an
option that is not enabled by default, and that excludes swap groups.
As
soon as you are chatting on a Telegram group, or intervening on a
channel, messages are available in clear on Telegram's servers. Of
course, the company ensures that its servers are encrypted and secure.
But the messages are technically no more secure than on Messenger.
However,
we can be reassured by saying that, unlike Messenger, we do not find
one of the largest companies in the world at the helm. Additionally,
Telegram user data is not monetized (but that may soon change) and
advertising is absent. All of which can act as a last resort if the goal
is to leave WhatsApp and the Facebook ecosystem at all costs.
From
there to considering Telegram as a 'safe' messaging to fall back on,
there is a chasm. Especially with regard to the other applications
mentioned above. However, there is interest in Telegram for its varied
functionality, especially in the administration of large newsgroups.
How to migrate friends and family to another app?
This question
torments many users, frustrated at having to comply with the wishes of
their loved ones who refuse to change platform. Unfortunately, offering
to leave WhatsApp or Messenger to friends and family for confidentiality
reasons is often to hear people say “I am not interested in it”, or
even to be opposed to the custard defense of “ I have nothing to hide
anyway ”.
First of all, it's important not to rush things. To let
go without warning that you absolutely have to quit WhatsApp for
reasons of confidentiality to family members who, for some, do not fully
understand the IT tool can be seen as an aggressive injunction. We will
advise you to demonstrate pedagogy.
The Internet (including
Clubic) has no shortage of resources aimed at educating Internet users
about the importance of protecting their personal data. You can also
take the example of the Snowden affair, whose revelations about massive
CIA espionage left no one indifferent and sparked outrage.
Messenger
die-hards, ask them how they feel when someone discreetly observes them
typing a message on their smartphone on public transport. Embarrassing,
isn't it? Well, that's precisely what Facebook can do if it wants to.
Also
remember that Facebook's business model is to accumulate as much data
as possible about its users in order to sell them targeted advertising.
It’s not us who use Facebook's services for free, it’s Facebook who uses
our information for free to earn substantial income.
More
radical, you can also clearly announce your intention to quit WhatsApp
(or any other application), and indicate to your contacts that you will
now be reachable on Signal / Olvid / Telegram or other. Of course, it is
possible that some contacts never make the process of reaching you on a
new messaging system. But, in experience, the people who care about it
most aren't the hardest to convince.
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