Since Whatsapp updated its terms of service and requires users to agree to a transfer of their data to Facebook, thousands of users have taken refuge on Signal, an alternative messaging app.
Transparent and non-profit, it is recommended by Elon Musk and Edward Snowden, among others, for its safety.
DECRYPTION
Number 1 on the AppStore and the Google Play Store in France, Germany, the United States, India… Signal messaging has experienced as strong and sudden a craze for a few days.
Craze that coincides with an update of Whatsapp, the most popular messaging application, involving a change in its terms of use.
She will now share more user information with her parent company, Facebook, which not everyone likes.
As a result, thousands of users take refuge on Signal, an application hitherto confidential and recognized for its remarkable security.
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Why is Whatsapp criticized?
Praised in much of the world for its simplicity and security, Whatsapp is now strongly criticized.
In question, an update of its conditions of use.
In small lines, it is specified that Whatsapp will now share its data with Facebook, in order to provide its partners with information in order to set up targeted advertisements.
A window is displayed when the application is opened with a choice: accept or refuse.
Except that it is impossible to refuse otherwise you will no longer be able to use Whatsapp.
We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption.
pic.twitter.com/6qDnzQ98MP
- WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 12, 2021
"Facebook will not have access to the content of our conversations on Whatsapp," cybersecurity researcher Baptiste Robert told Europe 1.
"We are talking about metadata here: who has spoken to whom, the duration of the calls ... Facebook can use it for advertisements, not necessarily on Whatsapp but on Instagram for example."
This "form" data is more protected in Europe than in the United States thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Whatsapp will therefore not transmit as much data for a French user as for an American user.
What is the Signal app?
Signal an American application, which appeared in 2014 but remained in the shadows for a long time.
"It has been widely used in the world of cybersecurity and by people who care about their privacy for many years," says Baptiste Robert. Visually, it looks like Whatsapp in every way. At launch, it simply requires creation an access code and authorization to access your contacts, but this is not a typical business: the application is supported and funded by the Signal Foundation, a non-profit organization. It is therefore free and does not use advertisements.
Facebook is probably more comfortable selling ads than buying them, but they'll do what they have to do in order to be the top result when some people search for 'Signal' in the App Store.
PS There will never be ads in Signal, because your data belongs in your hands not bear.
pic.twitter.com/waVPcl4wHe
- Signal (@signalapp) January 10, 2021
"Signal is also an open source application. Its code is accessible by everyone and it has therefore been audited by companies specializing in cybersecurity who 'validated' it. This process cannot be done with Whatsapp. or Messenger since the code is the property of Facebook and is therefore not transparent, ”adds Baptiste Robert.
"In terms of trust, that changes a lot. We know how the code works and what it does on our phone."
Is Signal more secure than Whatsapp?
On this point, two elements must be distinguished: the encryption of conversations and the data collected.
On the first point, "Whatsapp uses the Signal protocol so the way to encrypt messages is the same. Everything is end-to-end encrypted," says Baptiste Robert.
Apart from a few state-run couriers, therefore, there is no more secure than Signal in the consumer application market.
The difference with Whatsapp is actually in terms of personal data.
"In Whatsapp, you can see profile photos of people you don't know, for example if you have a group in common with them. On Signal, it's impossible, without having sent them a message beforehand", according to Baptiste Robert.
A lot of people have been asking how to move their group chats from other apps to Signal, and Signal group links are a great way to get started.
Drop a group link into your former chat app of choice like you're dropping the mic on the way out.
pic.twitter.com/q49DeZufBG
- Signal (@signalapp) January 7, 2021
"There is still data passing through their server, it's not magic anyway. Between the sender and the recipient, the message must go somewhere," tempers the cybersecurity researcher. "But Signal has done a great job of keeping that data as low as possible, just enough to run the app. Privacy is much more respected on Signal than on Whatsapp. It's the best possible alternative." alternative acclaimed by the European Commission, Edward Snowden and even Elon Musk. As a result, Signal receives so many new registrations that its servers are struggling to keep up.