Messaging apps Signal and Telegram have seen a sudden rise in demand after rival WhatsApp updated their terms of service and raised concerns about social media.
WhatsApp, which uses Signal’s encryption technology, released a new terms of service on Wednesday asking users to allow Facebook Inc, its parent company and subsidiary to collect information, including phone numbers and locations.
Some privacy advocates noted the movement described as “Allow us to steal your information or leave” on Twitter and advise users to switch to apps like Signal and Telegram.
WhatsApp has a new competitor: Telegram Messenger
Telegram Messenger became the most downloaded messaging application on iTunes within days. Its appearance makes it a very interesting hybrid, Gesell Tobías told us from the Voice of America studio in Washington.
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Signal’s popularity soared on Thursday after it was endorsed by Elon Musk, who has one of the following biggest accounts on Twitter, and Jack Dorsey, head of micromanagement site.
More than 100,000 users downloaded Signal from Apple and Google app stores in the past two days, while Telegram has downloaded nearly 2.2 million times, according to analysis firm Sensor Tower.
The new WhatsApp downloads were 11% lower in the first seven days of 2021 compared to the previous week. But that’s still equal to about 10.5 million installations worldwide, Sensor Tower said.
