WhatsApp has always carried itself as a service that focuses on privacy, but that is soon going to change. With the announcement and changes to their privacy policy that WhatsApp will be sharing personal and business data with parent company Facebook. Facebook and its subsidiaries will be able to collect data including phone numbers, locations, and more.

Source: Unsplash

WhatsApp users only have until February 8th to make a choice – either accept the agreement or be cut off from the service. This has prompted a mass-exodus from the social media platform.

Fortunately, there are some promising alternatives to use – namely Telegram and Signal.

Source: Play Store

Signal

Signal is a messaging service that is available through Apple Store, Google Play Store, and has Desktop versions for both Windows and Mac. Since the announcement regarding WhatsApp, billionaire Elon Musk has gone to social media to tell his followers to switch to this service.

What makes Signal better than WhatsApp? Besides the fact that WhatsApp is giving your data away, it is an open source project which means it’s about as safe as you can get in terms of anything finding its way into the code. Signal is run by a non-profit organization and has no ads, no trackers, and no affiliate marketing. Best of all, Signal encrypts all communication from end to end, meaning all data is accessible only to the sender and recipient.

Source: Play Store

Telegram

Telegram is another messenger that can be downloaded through Apple Store, Google Play Store, and on Windows and Mac. In terms of features, Telegram is quite comparable to WhatsApp, including video and voice chat, and lifestyle features.

Telegram also offers end-to-end encryption, but only when users use the “private message” feature that keeps whatever is being said from the application’s servers. Compared to the monumental list of data that WhatsApp collects, Telegram only needs to access your contact information, as this is how it connects you to other users.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out the DealsFinders Telegram Channel!