WhatsApp has been facing a lot of heat since it rolled out the latest Privacy Policy updates. The Facebook-owned company has been backlashed by several users over privacy concerns, and people are looking for WhatsApp alternatives. Are Signal and Telegram good enough to replace WhatsApp? We find out. Here’s an in-depth comparison between the three most popular messaging apps.
WhatsApp updated its Privacy policy which allows other Facebook-owned companies to access WhatsApp user data.
While Facebook has always been doubted with misusing user data, the new Whatsapp privacy policies throw at ton of questions over its security and data privacy. While WhatsApp alternative apps are being favoured for better security, are they worthy enough to be your daily social messaging app?
Both Telegram and the all-new Signal (endorsed by world’s richest man, Elon Musk) are being considered the best Whatsapp alternatives given the security features offered. Should you switch?
WhatsApp vs Signal vs Telegram: Things you need to know
WhatsApp is currently the largest messaging service in the world with over 2 billion monthly active users. Telegram has around 400 million users, while Signal has around 20 million monthly active users.
While WhatsApp stands undefeated given the number of users, we can’t shy away from the growing popularity of Telegram and Signal.
The WhatsApp privacy policy update is helping the other two gain more users over the app’s security and privacy.
WhatsApp, perhaps the best-known app in our reviews, has now partnered with Signal’s Open Whisperer Systems to add the same top-class encryption methods they use for all their apps (iOS, Android, Windows Phone). So, what are the differences between WhatsApp and Signal?
WhatsApp is the most popular texting alternative, so your existing contacts are more likely already using it. But the downside is that Facebook owns WhatsApp, so you’re putting yourself in the hands of Facebook’s logging practices.
While WhatsApp end-to-end encryption hides your messaging content, Facebook can still collect some of your meta information, like the location of your phone. WhatsApp is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Nokia, Mac and Windows PC. Another difference is that Signal is open source, but WhatsApp is not.
Telegram is a popular private messaging app with end-to-end encryption, a slick interface, speed and lots of features. One big plus for some users is that Telegram doesn’t limit the file size of media or documents you share. And you can set messages and files to self destruct after you send them.
However, if ultimate security is a necessity, Telegram falls short. While it has open source API for developers, its server-side code is closed source and proprietary. And many experts agree that Telegram isn’t very secure.
If you’re simply looking for an alternate messaging app that you can use and sync on multiple devices, Telegram’s a great option (as long as you don’t need uber encryption). Telegram offers native applications for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mac, Linux and Windows PC.
Security experts widely consider Signal by Open Whisperer Systems the gold standard for private messaging. This free messaging app uses automatic end-to-end encryption, is open source and has undergone numerous (and successful) independent audits of its cryptography over the years.
Signal also allows you to verify the identity of your contacts. Each conversation has a unique safety number (often referred to as a fingerprint or key) that allows you to confirm the security of your messages and calls with specific contacts.
This app gives you all of the basic messaging tools you’ll need, including group chats, voice and video calls, read receipts and emoji support. Signal is your best option if you’re looking for super secure messaging, voice, video, group messaging and file sharing. It has native applications for iOS, Android, Mac and Windows PC.
WhatsApp vs Signal vs Telegram: Privacy Permissions, Which One More Secure?
WhatsApp does not encrypt backups (cloud or local). Whatsapp also does not encrypt metadata unlike Signal, which is used to carry communication between two endpoints. WhatsApp group chats have been earlier found to be indexed on Google search, major data breach point.
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Telegram group chats are not encrypted unless you use Secret Chats, which again only supports single-user communication.
In terms of user privacy, Signal offers the most secured form of communication you can get on the internet. But again, Signal lacks a host of features if compared to Whatsapp and Telegram. Signal by default encrypts all the local files with a 4-digit passphrase. It also supports encrypted group calls.
Here’s list of data each of the messaging apps collects from their users:
WhatsApp Data Collection
- Device ID
- User ID
- Advertising Data
- Purchase History
- Location
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Contacts
- Product Interaction
- Crash Data
- Performance Data
- Other Diagnostic Data
- Payment Info
- Customer Support
- Product Interaction
- Other User Content
Telegram Data Collection
- Contact Info
- Contacts
- User ID
Signal Data Collection
- None
It only stores your phone number
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