This may sound a bit dumb, but eh.

So when that WhatsApp privacy policy change thing happened in early 2021, I tried switching from WhatsApp to Signal and Telegram. Telegram kinda stuck with me since i still get news from there, but Signal… not really because I didn’t care about privacy back then. Now, I want to make the switch from WhatsApp to Signal, and I have a few plans on how to do that. But, is it worth it, since most people in Türkiye use Whatsapp and even if I switch my family and friends over to Signal, they’ll still use WhatsApp since most people are on there.

So, yeah. Should i try, or is it not worth doing? Let me know, also, thanks in advance!

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

(Note 2: This was also posted in c/[email protected], r/signal and r/privacy subreddits.)

  • Cam
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    61 year 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

  • @[email protected]
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    51 year ago

    Advocate for your preferred platform, help people install it when you can. Prefer to talk to them in that platform. Push it to your social network slowly. Don’t try to move everyone at once. Don’t get mad at people who don’t want to move. But you will have success.

    • SucukOP
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      11 year 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”.

  • ijeff
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    11 year ago

    With Signal no longer supporting fallback to regular SMS, it’s no longer as simple as setting it up as the default messaging app for family on Android.

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

  • merde alors
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    11 year 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

  • Maharashtra
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    11 year ago

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

    • SucukOP
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      21 year 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.

      • Maharashtra
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        11 year 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.

        • Thorned_Rose
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          21 year 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.

          • Maharashtra
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            01 year 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.

            • @[email protected]
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              21 year 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.

        • merde alors
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          11 year ago

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

    • ijeff
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      21 year ago

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