GUWonder

It works when the recipient of a message is still connected to the app or reconnects. It does nothing to inhibit screen capture/live screen recording tools.

jsnydcsa

Back in 2013 (indeed on Page 1 of this Thread) I expressed privacy concerns about What's App and have been vigorously opposed to using it since then and ESPECIALLY since FB bought the app. I've stayed away from FB more vigorously. I simply do not use it, expressly tell people offline not to post about me or my family on it or any other thing. It's certainly cost me some important connections with friends and family. But, I will not give in to FB. Hence, in addition to my initial distrust and dislike of What's App, it's acquisition by FB sealed the deal for me that What's App would not be in my repertoire.

Now, 5 years later, many colleagues, friends and family are imploring me to try What's App. They all seem to use it for these massive newsgroups/ongoing blog-like conversations about any manner of things. And, frankly, I'm missing out on more and more communications about important (business trends) and semi-important (the latest family news) things and events. I cannot seem to convince these folks of the privacy concerns. They've also tended to abandon Skype, as well (see my page 1 post to this thread). And, notwithstanding that the majority of them own not only iDevices but Macs as well, I cannot convince them to use iMessage/Facetime/Messages.

So, I started poking around the Google and was heartened to learn that What's App seemed to have a setting that allowed the user to stop What's App from sharing data with FB. It's a setting in the app. Indeed, What's App FAQs specifically mention how to do this (see, https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/26000016 ). Now, as it says right there FB may still use my What's App data for "improving infrastructure and delivery systems, understanding how our services or theirs are used, securing systems, and fighting spam, abuse, or infringement activities." But, to me, even in my privacy obsessed mindset is a lot less than allowing What's App to, in substance, set up a FB profile for me w/o my knowledge that then starts getting pinged (in either direction) with all sorts of data-mined information. I may be naive and have oversimplified the quote above. But, that's where I stand.

So, I took out my "burner" iPhone, downloaded and began to see What's App and gave it a go. No sign of this option to restrict FB's access to my data.

If anyone has any experience with this, I'd appreciate thoughts and idea about it. There seems to be a move by FB to eliminate this "do not share" option - which seems to be bumping up against some (mostly EU) privacy regs. But, if FB is really going to go through with this, then its back to square one with What's App. Thanks but no thanks.

BTW - As an aside, when setting up the What's App on the burner, I did notice that the app asked for permission to access my iPhone's contacts. I declined (not that there was anything private on the burner). So, at least one of my concerns back in 2013 may have been somewhat allayed. I don't know if allowing access still sends all the contacts up to What's App-land.

Thanks.

wco81

Do these people live mostly outside the US?

iMessage is really popular on iOS. But WhatsApp has global appeal, especially on cheap Android phones.

ORD-TGU

[QUOTE=wco81;29502364]Do these people live mostly outside the US?

iMessage is really popular on iOS. But WhatsApp has global appeal, especially on cheap Android phones.[/QUOTE

Both! It has served me very well while travelling international, with both Android and IPhone users, to communicate for free. taxis, tour guides, airbnb owners, and even front desk. All free and instant. I have multiple chat groups that friends join, there is even a desktop version.

Calchas

Is iMessage geographically restricted? I've never noticed that.

stimpy

Apple has been traditionally dominant in the US since the first iPhone, but that is changing rapidly. Starting about two years after Job's death, I have gone to hating Apple's business practices more and more each year. I'm almost at the point of going through the pain of switching, as many millions of people have around the world. Including America.

So of course I agree Whatsapp is a great tool to have and use. Also of course most people aren't criminal or overly narcissistic to care if the government or FB is reading our stupid text messages.

jsnydcsa

Save for one or two family members who uses an Android device, all my my friends, family, colleagues, etc. use iDevices. And, neither I nor they (to my knowledge) have ever encountered any geographic restrictions at all when using iMessage.

I'm certainly not a criminal, nor a narcissist. Unlike Apple iMessage, WhatsApp has a co-product (FB) which is a overblown (in my opinion) massive environment of stuff that I'm just not interested in and don't want FB to "know" about. As far as I know, Apple isn't building an automated dataset based on my preferred affiliations, connections, group memberships, likes, photo shares, etc. that transit through iMessage. FB does, IMHO. Otherwise, why would they feel the need to "link" What's App and FB and, at least in the past, have the privacy opt out between What's App and FB? So, I don't want to be part of it. Indeed, one pays for iMessage when one buys an iDevice. Whereas, What's App is free. Didn't someone say when the thing is free, you're the product being sold. I just prefer not to support that.

I was simply asking if there exists a workaround to use What's App and avoid FB mining my What's App data. Maybe the "price" of What's App is giving up your data, if so, that's a simple choice, unless there's a workaround.

wco81

No my point is iMessage tends to be pretty popular, at least in the US. Enough to deter some people from switching to Android.

WhatsApp is more popular but seems especially big outside the US.

DYKWIA

It seems you're trying to get a lot of people to come around to your way of thinking regarding privicy. 99% of people don't care, so they use WhatsApp.

As far as I know, you don't have to have a Facebook account to use WhatsApp.

tentseller

Anytime you write something on your device that is connected to the internet you are making your statement and sometimes things about yourself public, including FT posts.

Different people from different demographics, culture or region view the issue of privacy differently.

How does one know that Apple is not collecting information about the iOS users?

There would be some kind of compromise when using a communications channel that is easiest for the whole group/organization/family. If anyone in the group feels not comfortable using that channel they have the right not to use it knowing the might mean not getting any information from the group.

As for me, WhatsApp and WeChat work great due to my travels to many different countries. My WhatsApp and WeChat account is a true "one number" solution for keeping in touch worldwide, ID'd to your device and not the SIMs.

Has anyone came across this tip:
I have multiple email account on gmail, my main name plus many different version with [email protected].

GUWonder

wco81

Unless the FB and WA apps. are secretly accessing your phone number and device IDs, mapping them together.

joshwex90

My WhatsApp account and Facebook account certainly aren't linked. I remember when they offered you the option and I opted out. Regardless, for quite a long time, I didn't have the Facebook app on my phone at all, so nothing to link it to. And my WhatsApp number isn't the phone number I have listed on Facebook.

Jimmie76

Good luck with that and me Facebook, I don't use my smartphone phone to access Facebook. I also have a separate number for WhatsApp although that's because my normal phone for calls isn't a smartphone and therefore won't do WhatsApp. Ho

Calchas

The way Facebook deduces your number is by examining those people who have stored you as a contact in their phone and who have given Facebook access to their contacts. If 50 Facebook members have a guy called "John Smith"/"Jon Smith"/"John S"/"Big J"/"JJ"/"John mob"/"John tinder" in their phone all with the same number, it doesn't take too much to figure out what the name of this person is.

Once Facebook has the number and probable name tied together, together with a graph of acquaintances, it already has a good picture of this person whether or not they have an account.

If you do have a Facebook account but you didn't link the mobile number, the graphs of your Facebook friends's contact lists will reveal what your number is quite quickly.

I assume that WhatsApp also contributes the mobile number information to Facebook's graph.

If you have multiple numbers, and really who doesn't, I don't imagine it adds much confusion to the above process.