67
submitted 3 days ago by JettuhGlowie@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

I am italian, and the main messaging platform here is WhatsApp. I didn't completely quit, i just said "Hey, i want to not use it as much, so don't expect me to instantly answer", and that was the deal for a while. Then, i suddenly convinced the most important friends to switch including my mom, and now i can confidently say i could potentially delete my WhatsApp account and wouldn't loose on much. However i've been thinking and i feel like an asshole for making them switch. They say it's not an issue for them, but still feels like such a selfish thing to do. I am immensely against Meta, i do not trust their app, especially since it's closed source and most of their revenue is literally data trafficking, but i also feel like a bit of a paranoid crazy guy. I love Signal and chose that as a platform mainly because they have no telemetry, no ads, no AI bs, it's fully open source and incredibly user friendly (only annoyances are the centralization which is kinda necessary for the ease of use and the mobilecoin stuff, but it is not a biggie since it's opt in and you'd have to specifically seek out for it unlike the Brave Rewards in Brave for example). What do you think?

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top new old
[-] Zak@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago

Asking someone to add an additional free messaging app is maybe a 2 out of 10 on the effort scale, where 1 is "hand me that thing that's next to you" and 10 is "give me one of your kidneys".

You shouldn't feel bad about asking anyone who claims to care about you for such a small favor even if it didn't benefit them, but as others have already mentioned, it does.

[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 15 points 1 day ago

wife: I hate that every time we talk about stuff I get ads about it, it's too creepy.

me: move to signal, here's my singal ID

wife: *sigh mabye tomorrow

REPEAT ABOVE 30 times

wife ok, let me install it

wife: adding you

we never text, or fb, or anythig, just signal

no more creepy ads.

[-] sudoer777@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's your right to avoid for-profit and invasive platforms (especially from companies famous for causing addictions and mental health problems), and it's their choice to switch if they want to communicate with you more easily. I'm in a similar boat with Discord.

[-] its_randomness@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago

How about Matrix? (Element X)

[-] CarstenBoll@feddit.dk 5 points 1 day ago

I had everyone move to matrix and it was really a struggle to keep it working and usable, and now we switched to Signal which is a much easier user experience.

[-] its_randomness@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

What was your main problems?

[-] CarstenBoll@feddit.dk 2 points 1 day ago

Mainly recovery key issues, notifications which suddenly didn't appear as they used to, and downtime. But I can't say eactly what it was, I just know that everyone is more happy with Signal.

[-] its_randomness@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

How long time ago was this?

[-] CarstenBoll@feddit.dk 1 points 1 day ago

A couple of months back? Maximum 6.

[-] uuj8za@piefed.social 29 points 2 days ago

However i’ve been thinking and i feel like an asshole for making them switch.

You should definitely not feel like an asshole for getting them on a safer app. You moved them off a predatory app. That's good. I convinced my mom to get off Whatsapp because Meta kept trying to scam her into using the AI bullshit.

With Signal, it's just messages. No ads, nothing trying to trick you into doing something against your benefit. It's just messaging. That's all she cares about.

[-] SallyForth@lemmy.world 92 points 3 days ago
[-] huquad@lemmy.ml 27 points 2 days ago
[-] Ascendor@discuss.tchncs.de 44 points 2 days ago

It's not selfish. Data protection protects THEM as well.

[-] artyom@piefed.social 55 points 2 days ago

Its not selfish to convince your family to do what's in their own best interests.

[-] hneerqe@lemmy.world 53 points 3 days ago

why feel bad for suggesting objectively better software?

[-] Trilogy3452@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

IMO it's better in a sense that one may do damage vs one that would not

[-] ComradePedro@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 day ago

WhatsApp does a lot of damage. Even if they don’t read your messages (there is no evidence that they can’t, since WhatsApp is proprietary), they at the minimum know who you talk to and when, and they use that data across Meta services to track you.

[-] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 31 points 2 days ago

I'm on Signal, if someone wants to reach me they can find me there.

I'm okay with not being instantly available to dozens of people.

[-] MidsizedSedan@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago

I've started replying to any meta site link with this sticker I found on signal

If people knew how meta treats their customers, then they won't (I hope) stay there.

[-] vegafjord@slrpnk.net 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Cropped version.

Horrible resolution though...

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] atomo@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

OR carry on using WhatsApp on Beeper for now. https://www.beeper.com/ You can start using Signal and WhatsApp at the same time using Beeper, and start a slower transition by convincing your contacts to do the same.

[-] en1gma@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 days ago

Why shouldn’t they feel like “assholes” forcing you to use WhatsApp umin the first place? I quit WhatsApp years ago. Everyone I know uses either Signal or Telegram (still better than Meta).

Don’t overcomplicate things. Just stick to what you feel is right.

[-] orca@orcas.enjoying.yachts 10 points 3 days ago

In some countries, WhatsApp is the main tool of communication. When I visited Chile years ago, companies had WhatsApp logos on all of their ads, billboards and storefronts. So I get why it’s so difficult to ditch it in those places.

[-] en1gma@lemmy.ml 14 points 2 days ago

If no one starts the change, nothing ever will change. Someone has to go through the hassle so others can follow.

[-] orca@orcas.enjoying.yachts 5 points 2 days ago

Yeah, gotta start somewhere. It’s just crazy how Meta got their claws in with WhatsApp.

[-] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 days ago

Don't give up on Signal. I did the same with my friends and family years back (about 5 years ago) it's been great

[-] Pika@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I gave up on signal just because when I swapped none of my friends did, so therefore, there's no reason for me to use it because I'm just partying by myself.

Being said if you got people to actually go with you then I wouldn't feel bad about it because obviously they wouldn't have swapped if they didn't want to.

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)
[-] Delusion6903@discuss.online 1 points 1 day ago

Fossify isn't encrypted. It looks worse than RCS.

[-] Newhere@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago

Thanks for list!

[-] OnyxRex@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 3 days ago

over here in America, we had a friend in our group that outright refused to switch to signal. Not to make it seem like it's the only factor, but that friend is no longer around, and we all use Signal.

[-] SharkAttak@kbin.melroy.org 7 points 2 days ago

It's not like you cut their phone wires, should they need it for something they can just use it (as sometimes it's unavoidable). But this way important and private stuff will remain as such, we don't want Zuckerbot to get a hold of grandma's secret recipe, do we?

[-] akilou@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago

You're doing them a favor by displacing some of the data that Meta would otherwise have on them

[-] PierceTheBubble@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

If you leave them to choose between WhatsApp and Signal, they'll pick what they already have and what they're familiar with. I deleted WhatsApp after they introduced MetaAI, and told people close to me, that they could only message me using Signal going forward. Just make sure you support people that have difficulty installing and using the app. When removing malware from my grandma's smartphone, I also made sure to install Signal, and she now comfortably contacts me through it for minor things. It's not like you're inconveniencing them much: it's just an app installation and basic setup, while the workflow is nearly identical; especially if you allow them to find you through your phone number (which I have disabled).

[-] Zerush@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

It isn't an argument, because there are almost 50 chat alternatives out there, it's like saying you have to use VW or BMW. To communicate with unknown people there are forums or an fediverse instance like Lemmy or Mastodon, If you want to communicate with your friends or family any of the above proposed chats is enough, or use your phone for what it is, to make a call (yes, this finction still works in smartphones without any app).

[-] dektep@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

no retreat, no surrender

[-] shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 days ago
[-] Presently42@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago
[-] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

They say it's not an issue for them,

So you think your family and friends are liars and shouldn't be trusted?

[-] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago

You can leave the install both apps and use them both independent of each other. Signal for private conversations. WhatsApp for utility.

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2026
67 points (86.0% liked)

Privacy

51047 readers
417 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS