You have probably heard recently that WhatsApp has revealed to the public a new update of its terms and conditions. This update essentially eliminated the option of users to prevent the sharing of information and personal data with parent company Facebook. In other words, you will no longer be able to use the application and your account will be deleted, if you do not share your data with Facebook. The change will enter into force on February 8, but at least for now it will not affect users from the European Union.
In today’s article we set out to make a comparison between WhatsApp and its main competitors: Signal and Telegram.
With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is currently the market leader in terms of the popularity of instant messaging applications. WhatsApp has all the basic features of a messaging app: chat, group chats, broadcast lists, sharing photos and videos, sharing documents, sharing contacts and live location, but also 24-hour status updates , similar to the stories of sister applications Facebook and Instagram.
Even though WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, users’ messages are end-to-end encrypted. So, all the messages, calls, videos and photos you share are encrypted, and the only ones who have access to them are the participants in the discussion.
Signal
Signal is a free messaging application, recognized for end-to-end (E2E) encryption of messages and for its independent organizational structure led by a foundation. In addition, Signal created the encryption protocol used by other companies, including WhatsApp, Telegram or Skype.
While WhatsApp only encrypts messages and calls, Signal goes one step further and encrypts metadata as well. In order to protect the user’s privacy from all corners, Signal has designed a new way of communication between the sender and the recipient and it is called Sealed Sender. In other words, using Sealed Sender, no one will be able to know – not even Signal – who is sending messages and to whom.
Unlike WhatsApp, Signal cannot be used in the browser, but there is a dedicated desktop client. Also, Signal only allows local backup on the user’s device. Regarding the data collected from users, Signal collects only one thing: the phone number.
Telegram
With over 200 million users, Telegram is a serious competitor for WhatsApp supremacy. But when it comes to the security of messages, Telegram uses its own protocol for encrypting messages, called MTProto.
Like Signal, Telegram offers the possibility to automatically delete messages after a certain time. Telegram can also be used on the desktop with a dedicated application available for both macOS and Windows. Unlike WhatsApp, it can have multiple connections and does not need the phone to be connected to the Internet to work.
There is also the option for users to change the phone number associated with their accounts, unlike how WhatsApp links accounts to individual phone numbers. The service does not offer backups. Instead, it stores all content in the cloud and instantly synchronizes all chats and channels between devices.
In conclusion if safeguarding data confidentiality is your top concern, then Signal might be the suitable application. WhatsApp, although currently the most used messaging service, is losing ground due to its new security policies. Telegram may not be the best in terms of security; however, it still offers plenty of interesting features.
