this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023
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Signal.
A few years ago, I didn't really care about privacy and even worshipped Google and such. Now that I do care about them, I rejoined Signal (which I disliked a few years ago). I am currently waiting for the EU's DMA law to take effect (specifically the messaging app interoperability) so I can delete WhatsApp and my account for good and only use Signal to communicate with others, no matter if they're using WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. Feels good to be in the EU atm. You know how stuff is in the EU, literally everyone is using WhatsApp so you have no choice but to use WhatsApp as well. I tried to get my family and friends into Signal now, but it seems like they are like the people that say "I have nothing to hide, and I don't trust such sketchy apps.". Feels annoying but I no longer need to thanks to EU's DMA law.
The DMA won't do much for you, Signal already announced last year that they wouldn't open up for interoperability, specifically not with WhatsApp.
That makes sense with their reasoning. But the DMA will still free people from WhatsApp regardless. There will be some open source messaging app implementing the new MLS protocol to communicate with WhatsApp users. I am more than happy to use that alongside Signal instead of WhatsApp.
How much will using a FOSS app for WhatsApp even accomplish? They still get all of your info, but at least the app isn't packed with trackers, I guess.
I just fear that switching from WhatsApp will lose importance to people who are on the fence about it, because why switch apps for that one friend who can now communicate with you anyway?
It's the same as with email. If I communicate with someone using Gmail, then yes, of course Google also gets some my data. But it's still better than being forced to use Gmail because my friend is on Gmail right?