Encrypt all the things!

Cheers, I suspected that was the case. I assume running through NextDNS will mitigate it somewhat as well.

I seem to remember reading a while ago that Facebook was filling in blanks in their contact details by cross referencing the phone books of people who had allowed access to their contacts to fill in the blanks from those who hadn't given access.

realistically my friends and family simply won't (that's even before you start talking about manual backups etc).

I wouldn't be so sure. They moved from sms to WhatsApp. For people in the UK this is not a hard thing to get a critical mass behind.

Whatsapp has a lot of obvious benefits over SMS. The benefit of Signal over Whatsapp is much more nebulous.

Yeah, totally not the same. People aren't going to leave WhatsApp. I've already come to terms with the fact that I am going to have to continue using it.

I was prompted by some of my OH's mates I'm in a group with. We all moved.

I then posted about this in one of my group chats and within 1hr people had moved and joined the new group on signal.

I was genuinely taken a back at how easy it was. Admittedly on another group there hasn't been traction, but then that is a slower moving group generally with less traffic.

If I move my folks will move. Same for my OH and their family.

This isn't some unique product. It's more akin to switching banks or utilities.

Not wanting to sound dismissive, but have you actually asked or tried? What's been the response? Imo it's probably a lot more in your head than you realise.

Working fine for me, currently connected to UK - East London.

Yes.

Not moving. Mum, Aunty, sister, tech savvy dad.

One group moved to iMessage, but then I moved to Android immediately after. They'd move to Signal. But not many others I don't think. Anyone on iPhone (literally everyone I message other than @spotter ) has no reason to use Signal when iMessage exists. Everyone has an iPhone in my circle.

Is there any reason to delete all the conversations if we dont sign?

Not really.

You can take it as three scenarios:

1. You actively use WhatsApp and you keep all existing conversations = they build a profile off the old conversations, match to any FB profile, and then enrich it going forward.
   
2. You use Signal in future and you keep existing conversations in WhatsApp = same as above but they cannot continue enriching the profile going forward
   
3. You use Signal in future and you delete everything you can = you minimise the profile they can build (if they haven't actually already done so)
   
   

All choices are valid, they're your choice.

I'm somewhere between #2 and #3 depending on which conversation, which contact.

Also. I should add. California has pretty decent personal privacy laws. I think I am relatively under the radar.

I use instagram but get no sponsored ads outside of the app itself which I'm fine with, I'm permanently connected to a VPN on all devices, always connected to a pihole at home, have opted out of every kind of data collection that you can opt out of in California, obviously use tracking blockers in browser etc etc

I am okay with my continued use of whatsapp if I absolutely have to.

You need to have a kid. Your fam will move ASAP after that.

I wonder if people who work for FB use WhatsApp and messenger.

This isn't some unique product. It's more akin to switching banks or utilities.

But when you switch banks you don't need to convince 50 other people to switch to the same bank as you, that offers fewer features, at the same time.

Response has been vague and noncommittal from those I've mentioned it to. The vast majority don't really get the idea of how this is an issue and inertia is high.

I could always threaten no dog photos unless Signal :-) The issue is that they're all heavy 0n facebook usage anyway so they just aren't gonna give a shit.

People aren't going to leave WhatsApp.

But they are.

If I move my folks will move. Same for my OH and their family.

Same. Years ago I simply told my parents and friends I'm on Signal and that's it.

(ironically I only installed Whatsapp for another reason about 2 months ago so it was relatively easy to kill)

I would consider using a PAYG SIM if I really felt I HAD to use Whatsapp for someone/something.

You actively use WhatsApp and you keep all existing conversations = they build a profile off the old conversations, match to any FB profile, and then enrich it going forward

Ah! Indirectly answers another question. If I continue to use it, delete all my messages, and therefore less for them to build from.

Great thank you.

And today's breach is: Ubiquiti

https://mailchi.mp/ubnt/account-notification?e=30527b2904

can confirm i use whatsapp, messenger and signal.

Yeah, that's not a good one.

Am glad that I use unique emails, passwords and have 2FA... but not amused by the way this was announced. Email only? No press release or notification in the app?

I spendt my evening last night clearing old threads and conversations in whatsapp.... Still some ways to go. There are some that i feel resistance to delete.

Is there a way to bulk download the attachements in a particular conversation? IE with my folks and shared photos. Or maybe everything that is left as a whole?

My folks suggested moving to Signal btw. Go dad!