The recent announcement of WhatsApp updating its Terms of Service and Privacy Policy has bothered several people. People are curious to know how much data does it collect as compared to WhatsApp’s chat messaging alternatives like Telegram, Signal, and Facebook Messenger?
As per Apple’s new privacy labels, both Messenger and WhatsApp were identified to collect usage data and location and are acquisitive in collecting data, unlike the other alternative apps.
Among all other chat messaging apps Signal private messenger tends to be the most secure messaging app as it doesn’t collect any of the user’s information.
For those who are unaware, the co-founder of WhatsApp ‘Brian Action’ left the company after Facebook acquired it. He then moved ahead to create the Signal Foundation along with Moxie Marlinspike.
With that being said, let’s take a look at what data WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and Messenger collect. Should you shift to the less intrusive one
WhatsApp Vs Signal Vs Telegram Vs Messenger: Which App is Secure?
Data Collected By WhatsApp
Data Collected by WhatsApp are: Phone Number, Email Address, Contacts, Coarse Location, Device ID, User ID, Advertising Data, Purchase History, Product Interaction, Payment Info, Crash Data, Product Interaction, Performance Data, Other Diagnostic Data, Customer Support, Other User, Content, Metadata.
Data Collected By Facebook Messenger
Data collected by Facebook Messenger are: Precise Location, Coarse Location, Physical Address, Email Address, Name, Phone Number, User ID, Device ID, Other User Contact Info, Contacts, Photos or Videos, Gameplay Content, Other User Content, Browsing History, Search History, Third-Party Advertising, Purchase History, Financial Info, Product Interaction, Advertising Data, Crash Data, Performance Data, Other Usage Data, Other Diagnostic Data, Other Data Types, Developer’s, Advertising or Marketing, Health, Fitness, Payment Info, Sensitive Info, Product Personalization, Credit Info, Other Financial Info, Emails or Text Messages.
Data Collected By Signal Messenger
Nothing! You just need to sign up on Signal with your mobile phone number for registering your account, however, the app does not link your phone number to your identity.
Data Collected By Telegram
Data collected by Telegram are: Name, User ID, Contacts, Phone Number
If you take a glance at the list of data collected by various chat messaging apps, you can find that signal is clearly the best privacy secure messaging app and both of Facebook’s products are acquisitive in collecting data.
Are you seeking for more security updates? Subscribe to our Newsletter now! And get the latest software news right from the software industries. Feel free to comment below.