WhatsApp, the most popular messaging platform is suffering from the biggest storm with its users because of its new set of policies, although WhatsApp (organization) has stalled its upcoming terms and conditions until May. Even in India, WhatsApp users are jumping on alternatives including Telegram and signal messaging platforms.
As well as the Indian government has strongly recommended Facebook-owned platform to re-consider upcoming policies.
India alone comprises a large number of WhatsApp's userbase. Recently in response to cyberMedia Analysis (CMR) research, 79% of WhatsApp users are only in eight cities of India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Ahmedabad. Out of this huge percentage, 28% of people are reconsidering to depart the platform after the execution of its ‘take it or depart it coverage’ in Might 2021.
Further, 51% of users have stated that they are reconsidering whether they should use this platform or not and would choose Telegram as its alternative or other messaging apps whereas 28% of respondents stated that they are not going to proceed with WhatsApp in any respect.
In new terms and conditions of WhatsApp, it will share credentials of people with its parent company ‘Facebook’. Although the company has stated that it will not affect your private chat lives with your family and friends in any approach. The larger concern is that there is no specific technique that will decide this out.
The new policies are not applied on the European market due to its (EU’s) stern privateness pointers that WhatsApp has obeyed to adjust.
The government of India has explicitly highlighted in its response to WhatsApp, “the platform can’t unilaterally put in such coverage in its greatest market and that WhatsApp is obliged to respect the privateness of its largest person base”.
“What’s outstanding is, most Indians (76%) had been conscious of the coverage,” Prabhu Ram, Head, Trade Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR instructed Monetary Categorical On-line.
“WhatsApp has been the default messaging software for shoppers, much more than the conventional SMS. It was free, it was intimate, and it was one thing we owned. However now due to this take it or depart its coverage, the shoppers have gotten conscious that it was not free, in any case.” He added.
