Refusing to Use WhatsApp for this reason

[dottypotter]

Someone in the family refuses to use WhatsApp and be in the family group as they don't believe it's private and safe.
I have never heard anyone give this as a reason has anyone else

We now have to text them separately etc cos they won't use it.

It's so useful to all be on the same group. Just never heard it as a reason before.

@SaskiaRembrandt But what are Apple doing with the data (genuine question, not disputing your claims)?
I can see where Google / Meta have a use for the data they gather as it helps generate their advertising revenue. But I don't get it for Apple. Do they sell it to other companies? Or just to further develop their own products?

A friend of mine who is a cyber security advisor won’t use WhatsApp or Facebook.

I do find it amusing to imagine some poor sod in a soulless office somewhere sifting through the 980 daily messages about lost pencil cases in year 8 at my son’s school.

We have a work WhatsApp but I don't have nor can I afford a smartphone. I have a friend who lets me know if i miss anything important, about twice in the past year. I am so glad not to have to acknowledge some of the nonsense that's spouted on there. A couple of other colleagues have now muted theirs.

I don't do What's App because a family member posts about 40 photos of her darling child every day and WA saves it all to my phone. She was so into competitive parenting and drowned out any and all conversation that wasn't about her or her kid.

I used it for 6 months and it took up 2gb on my phone due to these bloody pics that she was spamming both family groups with and she was plonking them all on FB as well with the same captions, she was like a three year old at the top of a slide. My phone got full so I had to delete the app. No major loss tbh.

I just really prefer non-linear conversation management like you get on Facebook where you can reply to someone under their message instead of at the bottom of 250 other messages.

That's fine by Beryl, she thinks you're a mardy arse anyway

I find WhatsApp phenomenally useful; what I don’t use - and never have used - is Facebook. So it seems to me that Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t really got all that much of my personal data to sell on to advertisers anyway: my mobile number and the numbers of the people I communicate with, I suppose - but I think that’s about it.

I vaguely imagine the end-to-end encryption of messages probably got cracked some time back (because everything went quiet soon after David Cameron stated it was unacceptable that the government couldn’t read them if it wanted to) - but then, if they really want to inspect my weekly shopping list, they’re welcome. Come to think of it, perhaps the CIA could let me know whenever my local Tesco is out of apple-flavoured Lucozade - it would save me a walk into town.

You realise you can stop it doing that right?

It isn't private or safe 🤷‍♀️, your family member is right.

No. Tell me more...

Tell me, photos in my albums do my head in. But I still like the benefit of group chat and seeing friends pics.

Do you have Android or iPhone?

Are you that naive to think Meta are interested in your messages?

The messages are secure with end to end encryption. It's the other data on your phone that they're interested in. Location, stuff you search for on whichever browser you use, apps that you use and how often, who your contacts are, and probably a whole load of other data that you don't know your phone collects.

@Thebeastofsleep iPhone. I searched through all my settings and just couldn't work out how to jettison all these stupid photos! I don't want them on the cloud or on my phone I just want them to shove off lol.

@Thebeastofsleep Mines android, and I can't figure out how to stop it storing the photos

My understanding is that WhatsApp is far more secure than other messaging apps because it provides end to end encryption

this. The encryption means messages can only be seen by the user.

there isn’t someone in an office reading everyone’s whatsapp messages. It can’t be done.

My DF won’t be on it . He’s 82, has a mobile and does text but can’t be bothered with the constant ‘unnecessary’ messages. Can’t say I blame him.
Lots of people don’t do online banking because they think it’s unsafe. It’s not that unusual. What do you think people did before WhatsApp groups?

@PeekabooAtTheZoo its in your WhatsApp settings under storage and data.

In WhatsApp, click on the three dots in the top right. Go to settings, then chats and then click "media visibility" it'll grey out when disabled.

Don't know if it works in iPhone though.

If you use Google photos (again, unsure on the iPhone equivalent) you also need to go to "back up device folders" in settings and deselect WhatsApp in there.

No more random pictures you didn't take stored on your phone!

I forget the why's & wherefores, but there were some changes made a while back & we have several IT professional friends who left WhatsApp for that same reason & where encouraging others to join a "safer alternative" that I forget the name of right now

@Thebeastofsleep thank-you, so much for your help 😀

Maybe they just hate people trying to force them to use WhatsApp groups!

I believe Facebook are trying to monetize it, so they will be after you data.

Why not use another service like threema

I use that excuse too..
I just don't want to be on another fecking group.

I am very cautious about using Mumsnet for the same reason. Security is very dodgy!!! :)

You never know when the Daily Mail is lurking and your information might be printed lol

Foe your friend...I heard this thing called a 'landline', has anyone heard of this for communication??

whatsapp is very secure. Any social media they are selling ur info so we are all at risk..its the price you pay for convenient and fast communication

I think people are missing the point about apps not being secure. No one really cares about the content of 99.9% of the conversations. It’s the data that’s valuable and that people want to steal - what data do you give when you sign up? Your name, email address, date of birth, a password? And how might these things be useful? Perhaps to hack into other databases - maybe your online banking? When this data is stolen it’s generally sold on and could end up in anyones hands. You are incredibly niaive.

How do you know WhatsApp is very secure? What do you know about internet security?

For what it’s worth, I know many people who work in cyber security who won’t install WhatsApp on their phones. Same for most social media too.

these companies are massive targets for hackers because they hold so much data about people. It has nothing to do with the daily mail stealing your story from AIBU. That’s not a question of security and the information they take doesn’t allow them to identify you.