WhatsApp & Facebook

[Patchelicious]

It will be monetized, personal data and spending habits is the new gold.

The amount of info they are gathering is quite substantial, but this declaration is just to keep it above board, they have been collecting that info for a while already.

 

The founders of Whatsapp left a while ago when they saw it happening.

I understand the value of data.

 

What I am saying is that Facebook already has more valuable data than the data on WhatsApp. While WhatsApp has data, the difference is that they would need to run AI on your conservations to identify new data elements. What they could identify from that is not that new info to Facebook. Getting spending habit data from the Neobanks or Amazon is much easier. WhatsApp doesn’t have this.

 

The value of WhatsApp is not in the data that’s on platform but in the size of its network. So bleeding clients and therefore value, in exchange for a nominal gain data doesn’t seem to make sense at first glance. It would make more sense for them to leverage the 2 sided network effects or push complementary products.

 

I’ll ask my colleagues at some of the FANGs about their take on this on Monday.

It’s very interesting.

Edited January 9, 2021 by Patchelicious

[DuncanCT]

 

https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/04/app-privacy-labels-messaging-apps/

 

Interesting visualisation. 

[Stretch]

data.png

 

https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/04/app-privacy-labels-messaging-apps/

 

Interesting visualisation.

Why does everyone forget about telegram

[BigDL]

As a matter of interest is iMessage available (officially) on Android?

Don’t think so. Android doesn’t protect privacy to the same level as iOS

[RocknRolla]

Terms and conditions of WA and Telegram is the same, other than WA sharing information about you AND YOUR CONTACTS with their broader group of companies, and any 3rd party they wish.

This is the issue for most, as some people want control over when and how their info is shared.

 

As mentioned earlier, this is for Facebook to market and push product more targeted when you interact with businesses on WA, and using the pay function, that is not available in SA yet.

If you are on Facebook, it’s too late. They already have this info. I cant really understand how everyone is up in arms about this, but, they still have a Facebook account. 

Edited January 10, 2021 by RocknRolla

[RocknRolla]

Telegram is currently run on donations from some russian ( iirc) dude, if WA 200 million users move there, who is going to fit the bill for the server upgrades, bandwidth etc. 

Or if Telegram is bought over by A larger corp, the same will happen as currently is happening to WA.

[MrJacques]

WA Messages are supposed to be encrypted, so they shouldn't have access to the message content, but they have access to contact information of both yourself and your contact list it seems.

 

Edit:

 

https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/updates/privacy-policy/?lang=en

Edited January 10, 2021 by MrJacques

[RocknRolla]

WA Messages are supposed to be encrypted, so they shouldn't have access to the message content, but they have access to contact information of both yourself and your contact list it seems.

 

Edit:

 

https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/updates/privacy-policy/?lang=en

Correct. Your message content cannot be read by anyone other than the intended recipients. 

The content can however still be shared with other people by taking screenshots, and sharing those. Still something you don’t have any control over.

 

Like my mate said when asked by a high ranking government official about email confidentiality “ If you want something to be secure and secret, keep it to yourself, don’t write it in an email” this is true for most things today. 

[Showtime]

They don't know what you're saying but they do know who you're talking to. If you Facebook and your contacts Facebook there is probably some data mining possibility in linking your data.

 

Personally I'm not bothered as I haven't used Facebook in years.

[Showtime]

iMessage is not that useful in SA as most people don't have access to it.

 

Like the iPhone locked down NFC is great in theory but useless if your country doesn't have Apple pay and no other payment systems can use it.

 

Just use iMessage. Similar functionality and nobody is monetising your data full stop

[Rocket-Boy]

Why does everyone forget about telegram

I always wonder the same thing, its the most viable competition to whatsapp.

I preferred Telegram from the start with native desktop clients that still functioned when your phone wasnt connected to the same network, the issue was always that my contacts werent going to move from Whatsapp.

[Frosty]

Before WhatsApp there was BBM, who remembers that? It was a mission to get friends fro move from BBM to WhatsApp, and probably the same as life after WhatsApp.

[BaGearA]

Before WhatsApp there was BBM, who remembers that? It was a mission to get friends fro move from BBM to WhatsApp, and probably the same as life after WhatsApp.

I remember BBM but wasn't whatsapp initially exclusive to Nokia or some phone brand?

 

I remember the switch for me was hindered by that which is why I stuck with BBM for long

[MrJacques]

I remember BBM but wasn't whatsapp initially exclusive to Nokia or some phone brand?

 

I remember the switch for me was hindered by that which is why I stuck with BBM for long

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp#Platform_support

[DR ◣◢]

Can’t we go back to Mxit?

[Frosty]

I remember BBM but wasn't whatsapp initially exclusive to Nokia or some phone brand?

 

I remember the switch for me was hindered by that which is why I stuck with BBM for long

BBM was around from 2005, while WA only 2009

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBM_(software)