D-Day on WhatsApp - this is happening now and what do you think about it?

Hello everyone 👋,

The WhatsApp users among you will have probably seen this annoying consent screen several times recently:

Source: t3n.deSource: t3n.de

Some of you have probably already pressed the green button below to finally get some peace and quiet. But what actually happens here if you agree to these new regulations?

By agreeing to the new data protection guidelines, you grant the Facebook companies such as Facebook (as an app), Instagram or Messenger to collect and further process information from your WhatsApp use.

This means that Facebook would theoretically now be able to create an extended person model about you using phone numbers, transaction data or interaction patterns (for example, if you text your girlfriend or boyfriend every day, at what time or in what quantity). Conversely, you can compare this with the Fichen of that time (see: Fichenskandal) (this is perhaps an exaggerated example now ;-)). Of course, the primary aim here is to collect information about your environment and your interests in order to then be able to display better and tailored advertising. Of course, this puts a lot of money back into Facebook’s coffers.

Facebook and WhatsApp, however, denied these allegations and wrote in the media that “nothing would change for users within the European region (including Great Britain)”. WhatsApp does not share user data or information with Facebook in Europe.

By the way, you can find out more about this topic here: [https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/answering-your-questions-about-whatsapps-privacy-policy](https://faq.whatsapp .com/general/security-and-privacy/answering-your-questions-about-whatsapps-privacy-policy)

What happens if I don’t agree to the changes?

First of all, nothing. In “a few weeks”, however, WhatsApp will display permanent information to those who have refused so far. Later, functions should be set such as access to chats, voice and video calls or that messages can only be read in the notification line of the smartphone.

WhatsApp does not mention an exact time or the exact “consequences” that we can face if we “disobey”.

What are the alternatives?

In January, Swisscom published a good overview of this in the magazine (click here). We have already started discussing individual alternatives and here in the community.

But now to you. Will you agree or not? If not, why and what alternative do you have in mind? It would be great if we could discuss something about this. 😊

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Dominik

@WalterB

What do you mean possible applications?

Personally, I think threema is really good, but the big problem is the price. For many people, paying three francs to use such an app is an enormous hurdle. So Threema can’t really be a replacement…

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Dominik

@DomiP I’ll leave it alone in advance, I don’t use it too often and then I use it 70% of the time with relatives. If we can agree on something else as a family, I will change too. But of course, the topic is sensitive.

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Agus fágaimíd siúd mar atá sé

hello @DomiP

Thanks for the information

A transfer to the Signal / Threema / Telegram app is undoubtedly preferable and will be effective depending on the confidentiality desired, even if there are stricter rules regarding data protection in Europe than, for example in the USA. This is undoubtedly an important alternative to the merger of Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram decided by Mark Z.

For monetary purposes, the giants of the Internet like Facebook or Google systematically give their customer data back to marketing companies, then the flow of information becomes difficult to control, the leaders of these data-guzzling companies have been heard, scolded (gentlemen, these practices are not nice!) and sometimes even condemned, but on the other hand this does not change their policy because it is their main source of income.

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“On apprend parfois plus d'une défaite que d'une victoire” — José Raúl Capablanca

@DomiP I’ve never really seen these annoying screens. I probably just pressed “ok” naively and thereby accepted the new terms and conditions.

My eldest son looked into it a little more intensively; with the result that our family chat now runs on Threema.

But Signal and Telegram are deliberately left out: whether WhatsApp or Signal is probably “Hans was Heiri” for Europeans, so switching doesn’t make any sense to me at all, and Telegram is for me (from gut feeling, without any real objective justification). too suspicious. On the one hand Russian, on the other hand too “sweary”.

WhatsApp will stay, alongside Threema. This is what it looks like for us at the moment. As soon as advertising pops up in WhatsApp for the first time, I delete it 😉

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@DomiP

Applications that are still missing from Threema.

1. to create a direct photo with the iPhone.

2. Group video conversation with the iPhone.

N.B. I think the price of Fr. 3 is okay.

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Installationen, Netzwerk, Internet, Computertechnik, OS Windows, Apple und Linux.

@WalterB wrote:

@DomiP

Applications that are still missing from Threema.

1. to create a direct photo with the iPhone.

2. Group video conversation with the iPhone.

N.B. I think the price of Fr. 3 is okay.

The costs are not entirely transparent: the license currently costs a one-off fee of 3 francs. If you search for specific activities online, you won’t find anything. The opinion that Threema costs 3 Stutz per year is persistent.

@WalterB is that available? Is the Android app further along than the iOS version? Point 1 works without any problems… We haven’t used point 2 yet, there’s Zoom or Teams for that.

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@kaetho

I didn’t find a direct photo taken under the + sign, only from that

Select album?

Addendum:

I just now saw that an image appears in the middle with which you can take a direct photo, great.

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Installationen, Netzwerk, Internet, Computertechnik, OS Windows, Apple und Linux.

@WalterB wrote:

@DomiP

Applications that are still missing from Threema.

1. to create a direct photo with the iPhone.

2. Group video conversation with the iPhone.

N.B. I think the price of Fr. 3 is okay.

You’re right - but it works on Androids 😉 it’s probably because iOS development just takes too long 😂.

I agree with you about the price too. I would have easily paid more. But that will be the big problem for most people…

@kaetho wrote:

(…) and Telegram is too suspicious for me (intuitively, without any real factual justification). On the one hand Russian, on the other hand too “sweary”.

Well, you’re right. But I think Signal, as well as Telegram, are safer than an app from FB… And especially with Telegram, I always ask myself, even if Russia were behind it, it would certainly be less harmful for us than if the Americans were behind it, right not 😉

For me, I can press the camera directly in the chat and the camera pops up automatically…

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Dominik

    DomiP

    There is actually the option to take a direct photo with the iPhone, strangely enough it suddenly appeared late, see picture below.

    You can press “Select from album” in the small image above and then create a photo.

    Direkt-Foto.jpg

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    Installationen, Netzwerk, Internet, Computertechnik, OS Windows, Apple und Linux.

      Telegram: Data protection questionable!

      https://www.rnd.de/digital/telegram-datenschutz-ist-katastrophal-UWYTXHQ5QSWG4WDB6X6J4RGS6A.html

      I would stay with WA before then.

      Signal: Is a non-profit foundation and the source code is publicly available.

      Even if it’s a US foundation, it’s still 1000x better than Telegram or a Facebook booth

      Threema: The problem isn’t that it costs anything - but the majority of users I know don’t even have a payment method stored in the app/play store and don’t want to either….

      So the signal is most likely left - and that’s what happened with the majority of my contacts

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      ….keep on rockin' 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

      @POGO 1104

      You can also do without WhatsApp & Co. entirely. Phone + MMS + Mail + Teams or Zoom are enough to cover 90% of communication needs. And if you want to achieve 100%, you probably have to bite the bullet because the environment has done the same and doesn’t want to change out of convenience.

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      @hed wrote:

      @POGO 1104

      You can also do without WhatsApp & Co. entirely…

      Dear friends and acquaintances:

      I would like to inform you that I will be uninstalling WhatsApp at the end of the month. You can now contact me via the Facebook-free “Signal” (as most of you already do. www.signal.org) - or else via SMS or email to reach……

      Something like this…

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      ….keep on rockin' 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

      Although I have installed most of the other messengers and can be reached there, I cannot uninstall WhatsApp. Most people around me won’t change.

      I also always think it’s nice to see anyone who has a FB and Google account today and still complains. I have already had various discussions in my environment. Furthermore, since the GDPR counts in Europe and Switzerland, nothing will change. This was also said several times.

      Source: https://twitter.com/NiamhSweeneyNYC/status/1347184963016339457

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      @POGO 1104 wrote:

      Threema: The problem is not that it costs anything - but the majority of the users I know don’t even have a payment method stored in the app/play store and don’t want to either..

      You can also simply buy a value card for the Play Store or App Store at the supermarket checkout and deposit it. (That would also be a nice gift idea) 🙂

      This means you don’t have to have a credit card on file or allow payment via your cell phone bill (which your friends will probably find annoying). Once the card balance is used up, it’s over.

      There are many good apps that come in an ad-financed “free version” and an ad-free purchased version. With the remaining credit on the card (after purchasing Threema) 😁 you can also show your gratitude to other manufacturers and thus save unnecessary advertising traffic and thereby extend the battery life.

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      So I too will turn my back on WhatsApp and uninstall the app. I have been installing Threema myself for several years and have tried to persuade friends and acquaintances to do so. This mostly failed because most of their contacts use WA. It doesn’t matter, then it will finally be a little quieter. 🙂

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      @Anonymous wrote:

      You can also simply buy a value card for the Play Store or App Store at the supermarket checkout and deposit it. (That would also be a nice gift idea) 🙂

      I completely agree with you. But in a society where everything has to be free and you would like to have a 1000 euros straight into your account if you use a free app, many people are put off by it…

      I really respect the work of Threema Folks! However, it would certainly be a great sign if, for example, users of the app received free vouchers for other users or if there was a time window when Threema was effectively free. For example, you can accept many new users over the course of a month, which would of course also increase popularity.

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      Kærar kveðjur - herzliche Grüsse
      Dominik

      @POGO 1104 wrote:

      @hed wrote:

      @POGO 1104

      You can also do without WhatsApp & Co….

      Dear friends and acquaintances:

      I would like to inform you that I will be uninstalling WhatsApp at the end of the month. You can now contact me via the Facebook-free “Signal” (as most of you already do. www.signal.org) - or else via SMS or email to reach……

      Something like this…

      I have no idea whether it works that way, since I don’t communicate via WhatsApp, Facebook etc. or Signal, I never had to announce such a change. Anyone who wants to reach me can call me, chat on the Combox or send an email or SMS and if someone doesn’t want to do any of that, then they’re out of luck. And yes, I’ve missed invitations and events because they were only sent via WA, but I can live with that.

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