Is it (still) worth trying to switch my family and friends from WhatsApp to Signal? (Read all of it, please.)

thecam, 10 months ago

Always promote private messangers. You will be surprised how often you can get others to get onboard. I was able to convince a coworker recently to get Signal

merde, 10 months ago

but if you care, why are you still posting on reddit?

Sucuk, 10 months ago

because of infinity for reddit. when it's dead, reddit becomes dead to me and i will delete my account. I might also delete my content from there.

merde, 10 months ago

it’s always worth it, it shows them that there are alternatives and also people like you who care about privacy and freedom from surveillance capitalism

neuromancer, 10 months ago

deleted_by_author

Sucuk, 10 months ago

I want to use Signal mostly because of privacy and it's features. They... don't really want to change, but if I don't use WhatsApp, they kinda have to.

ijeff, 10 months ago

Not directly relevant for family, but I’ve also been considering SimpleX Chat. It doesn’t require a phone number or username.

jesterraiin, 10 months ago

What’s the point if they will keep their Whatsapp on the same devices they will use Signal?

ijeff, 10 months ago

Would still be good if the interest is in having E2E encrypted chats by default and for group chats.

Sucuk, 10 months ago

I said this in Reddit, I will say it here too.

"Well,

(Note: Most of my family and friends don't really care about privacy.)

So, it's kiiiiinda about my privacy, since I do NOT feel comfortable using a Meta product.

Because most of my family have FB, FB Messenger, IG and/or (well, of course) WA."

+I want to increase their privacy and security as well.

jesterraiin, 10 months ago

This does not answer my question.

So you’re going to somehow convince them to install SIGNAL. And they will continue to use other data-stealing communicators on the same device. Your data and privacy won’t be safe.

merde, 10 months ago

communications between sucuk and their family will stay private even if WhatsApp may have access to sucuk’s contact details on their phones

Sucuk, 10 months ago

The main concern with whatsapp is they know my contacts, who i contacted with, when I contacted with them, (maybe) where I contact them from, for how long I contact them etc. etc.

I do NOT like that.

With signal, the only thing they know is your phone number (because well, it requires one) when you created an account and when you were last online. These are also concerning points but compared to whatsapp, it's much better.

Sucuk, 10 months ago

How exactly? I'm not saying they can't, I just want to know how?

The point you are mentioning also (kinda?) applies to all of the internet, then you can never ever even be "partly-private".

And chances of convincing them to not use those platforms is next to impossible, there is nothing I can really do other than switching from WA to Signal. I'm confident I can convince my close family, and that's kinda enough for me.

Thorned_Rose, 10 months ago

This is true. But at least it's still LESS data that Meta et al have which is still better than doing absolutely nothing.

It also helps increase awareness around viable alternatives - many people are resistent to trying new apps because they're believe alternatives will be difficult (or whatever). By getting them to see first hand that the alternatives are just as usable, they my then go on to tell other people as such.

jesterraiin, 10 months ago

It doesn’t matter.

No solution is correct, if the underlying principle is wrong - if you take a sword from a violent man, and give him a wooden fork, he will still jab someone with it.

The principle, the mentality needs to be changed, not communicators, that might as well get hacked next month, or turn out to be snitching on their users since day #1.

The way we talk. The topics we cover in talks. The language, the things we share - this is where the propblem lies, not in the tools we’re using.

kali, 9 months ago

A violent man with a sword will kill someone, a violent man with a fork might give them a scratch.

Both suck, but one is better.

CookieJarObserver, 10 months ago

Just ghost them by deleting your account on WhatsApp.

Sucuk, 10 months ago

Thinking of that but that would probably make them (my family and/or friends) mad lol.

I am posting some statuses and changing my profile pic saying "Contact me on Signal".

CookieJarObserver, 10 months ago

Yeah if they care about you they will swith. I forced mine as well. (2016 however)