To stay or leave? Questions, memes on WhatsApp flood social media

To stay or leave? Questions, memes on WhatsApp flood social media

Farheen.Hussain@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:11.01.2021

From opinion polls to pick the best alternative for WhatsApp to memes depicting mass migration of people to messaging platform Signal, social media hubs have been abuzz since WhatsApp introduced a new privacy policy last week.

Terms of the policy give more details on WhatsApp’s integration with its parent company Facebook, and how data is managed when a user interacts with a business on the platform. Users have time till February 8 to accept the new policy or they will have to leave the platform.

The development has sent Twitterati into overdrive. Some widely shared memes show a train full of people migrating to Signal, while others depict people rejoicing after being assured of privacy in other apps.

With a reported increase in the number of Signal users, netizens are also debating leaving WhatsApp. “To be on WhatsApp or not? Last few days we have seen a lot of activity in all the WhatsApp groups from family, school, college, office, local community...A lot of discussion on an alternative to WhatsApp. What’s ur views (sic)?” Namma Bangaluroo tweeted.

Several users asked the question and many said they will leave WhatsApp on February 1. “Quick question, but how many of you all are actually going to make the push to migrate off WhatsApp to Signal or Telegram etc? My entire life, conversations with friends and family and colleagues are all on it. It would be difficult for me to walk away from that (sic),” tweeted Chandra.

TOI also spoke to Bengalureans, who have ironically been sharing messages on WhatsApp about alternative platforms and how they should migrate. Mughdha Ramesh, a homemaker, said she had deleted her Facebook account a few months ago and plans to delete her WhatsApp account by February 1. However, she said going off Instagram will be slightly difficult. “I have taken several breaks from the platform, but always return for the latest food, fashion trends and parenting tips. I guess I will have to make a choice,” she says.

Some users don’t think the policy is anything new. Rafida Asmia, an interior designer, says the concept of privacy on social media is an illusion. “Data has always been shared. I can’t migrate to a new platform unless all my contacts do so. Till then, WhatsApp will remain a major communication channel,” she says.