Unfortunately, most people I know use WhatsApp for personal communications, as a result, I’ve had to start using it too. However, I’m unsure which is more privacy-oriented for desktop use: WhatsApp Web in a browser or the native application.
I hate WhatsApp so much. I’ve tried multiple times to stop using it but it’s so ubiquitous (at least in Europe) that it’s impossible to live life without it. The only way this monopoly could be killed is EU government intervention.
The only way this monopoly could be killed is EU government intervention.
It’s already happeniny with the DMA (Digital Markets Act): the gatekeeper (WhatsApp, Apple with iMessage, Facebook with Messages, etc.) will have to enable interoperability with external application upon requests. So by March 2024 (not sure about the date) we should be able to chat with people that use WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Message and other big services (that are considered gatekeeper) through Signal/Telegram/other apps!
D‘you have any source for that? Sounds kinda way too good somehow for me ^^
Have a look here. And, directly from the europa.eu website:
When will the Commission designate the first gatekeepers?
Potential gatekeepers meeting the quantitative thresholds established by the DMA had until 3 July 2023 to notify their core platform services to the Commission. The Commission will have 45 working days from the notification date to make an assessment as to whether the undertaking in question meets the thresholds and designate gatekeepers, at the latest by 6 September 2023. Following their designation, gatekeepers will have six months to comply with the requirements in the DMA, at the latest by 6 March 2024.
This is the first time I heard about this and I’m so excited.
I can’t wait to delete my Facebook account!
Thank you
This will be amazing if I didn’t have to have WhatsApp and other similar apps installed. Really !!!
I can’t wait to chat with others via fediverse.
I liked a lot when first hearing of that, but didn’t someone point out that whatsapp and apps like it could just not honor any of the security measures of signal and such and would just end up being a detriment to signal or something
Well, we’ll see! And let’s hope that that won’t happen!
I hear you bro. It’s maddening how I have to submit legal documents through fucking whatsapp of all places. I’d ask if I can email them instead, or even better, hand them personally to avoid all the techy bs. They’ll look at me like a caveman appeared from the mountains, and tell me “But you’re applying for an IT job! Don’t tell me you don’t use smartphones!”.
Sure, ma’am. Sucking zucc’s dick means being a developer, wow.
I just logged in simply to upvote it, I’m still laughing, I feel you
ME WANT EMAIL! UUGH!
I use it in Firefox within a container that I use just for WhatsApp, sot it’s isolated.
WhatsApp in a privacy-focused browser is more private, since WhatsApp only can see the data your browser provide and not your entire OS. Which make this solution more private.
Pidgin has a plugin for Whatsapp https://github.com/hoehermann/purple-gowhatsapp/
I’m in a similar situation. I’ve convinced a few people to use Signal; however, they’re all gone back to WhatsApp. What’s best for smartphones? Native app or web app for iOS or Android.
For desktop use I settled for the browser. I’m usi g firefox with ublock. Don’t know t it helps keeping a little bit of privacy.
Native application is just a browser wrappen in a nice suit. There’s no difference in terms of privacy.