WhatsApp's new terms of service and privacy policies, which were updated earlier this week, are causing a migration of the messaging application's user base to more privacy-oriented options such as Signal. Some are even mulling moving to Telegram. Acceptance of the new policies, which users are being alerted to via in-app notifications, is mandatory, failing which users would lose access to WhatsApp from February 8, 2021. The new policies allow for a closer integration of WhatsApp into the larger Facebook ecosystem and group of companies. It is worth noting that WhatsApp's users in the European Union are exempted from the sharing their data with Facebook (more on this below). Multiple users on social media platforms, including Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, have called for the use of apps such as Signal. Signal, in fact, experienced a temporary slowdown, with users unable to get verification codes due to the sudden surge in sign-ups. At the time of publishing this story, both Telegram and Signal were among trending topics on Twitter. Use Signal — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2021 What exactly do WhatsApp's policies mean? The new policies are largely expanded and better-explained versions of their existing conditions, albeit with some additions. The most notable addition includes WhatsApp's integration into the Facebook family of products, which include the in-house Messenger app and Instagram. More data-sharing with Facebook: Currently, WhatsApp shares a huge amount of information to Facebook and other companies in the family. This includes your account registration information — including your…
