In early January, an in-app ultimatum told WhatsApp users to accept an update that would share more of their data with parent company Facebook, or have their account closed by 8 February.
Given Facebook’s record of intrusive advertising and security incidents, it came as no surprise that competitors such as Telegram and Signal reported a subsequent spike in users.
WhatsApp has been millions of people’s communication ‘daily driver’ for more than a decade, so users’ concerns are not a niche technicality – for many, it is an essential service.
