Businessmen should learn how to communicate for their product or service to succeed. Advancement in technology offers rooms for them to establish online presence, promote brand, and reach potential audience. At present, mobile instant messaging (IM) applications make wave in the business sector, as CEOs and entrepreneur can send messages or call either by voice or video in one tap.
However, users ask for privacy before using the IM apps as they don’t want anyone monitoring their messages. Therefore, companies should understand how transparent and private WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, WeChat, and Signal are. We write this blog for you to know how IM apps take care of privacy.
Have you heard WhatsApp call monitoring or WhatsApp recording? Don’t feel nervous that the company is spying on you. Due to laws and regulations concerning text messaging compliance, WhatsApp and its competitors archive your messages to keep a genuine track record. The Facebook-owned app adopts end-to-end message encryption – the gold standard in assuring data privacy. Its sister Messenger offers the same, but users should turn on the Secret Conversations setting to use the feature.
On the contrary, WhatsApp and Messenger can see your message as they don’t encrypt conversation metadata. In contrast to their user data collection and censorship of application code, the two mentioned IM apps release transparency reports necessary for knowing the data they get from you.
Now, let’s now talk about Russia’s Telegram. Senders and receivers should switch the app’s Start Secret Chat button to deliver and receive end-to-end encrypted messages. Users should also take note that metadata isn’t encrypted as well. While it collects basic app info from consumers, transparency reports and the server’s application code aren’t available.
In terms of data privacy and transparency, users may find Chinese-made WeChat suspicious, and the reason behind it is the country’s strict government regulations. The company doesn’t end-to-end encrypt conversations and metadata, which means the app can monitor your messaging activity. On top of gathering user data, the China-based IM app doesn’t present transparency reports, and its application code is private.
On the other hand, the young yet promising Signal Technology Foundation-ran Signal tops the IM apps’ security and transparency competition. This IM app encrypts conversation and metadata end-to-end and refrains from collecting user data. Besides, its application code is available for public viewing and outlines transparency reports.
Knowing that each IM app has its way of assuring data privacy and promoting transparency, users should be responsible for their personal information. One must apply the proper netiquette in engaging with mobile communication to prevent your data from leaking out. Indeed, knowledge and power, and everyone should understand and contemplate it.
To know more, check this infographic by Telemessage.
