Old hat? Various alternatives to Facebook messenger are now available. — dpa
Facebook has had some pretty bad press lately, so it's understandable that many users are nervous about sending personal information using Facebook Messenger.
Luckily, there are plenty of other messaging services out there, many of which offer much better data protection.
The only problem is, you will need to persuade your friends and family to start using the same service as you – after all, the best messaging app in the world is useless without contacts.
But once you've explored the options, why not give one a try and see if you can persuade anyone else to join you? Read on for a run-down of some of the alternatives.
Why is everyone so down on Facebook Messenger?
Facebook has come under fire from consumer associations for practically forcing users to communicate through its messenger app on their smartphones.
The app requires many permissions. For example, it can access all your contacts, plus the phone's camera and microphone, and capture your location.
Conversations are not automatically encrypted, though it is possible to encrypt them on individual chats. And users have to put up with advertising.
Is WhatsApp any better?
WhatsApp has been owned by Facebook since 2014. Its terms of use say that although it's a separate service, it shares information with Facebook. This includes phone numbers. On the plus side, WhatsApp conversations are encrypted.
What are the alternatives?
Signal, a free messenger from Open Whisper Systems, is available for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux. It allows the encrypted sending of text messages, photos, videos and other files to individuals and groups.
You can also make phone calls on Signal. The source code is visible and Open Whisper Systems has entered into a number of collaborations with other services to improve its encryption technology.
Telegram is also free for iOS, Android and Windows and there are also computer and web versions available. Telegram can create groups of up to 100,000 members.
However, the service has been criticized by consumer protection advocates. The headquarters of the company and the location of its servers is unclear. The development team reports itself to be in Dubai.
Chats are not automatically encrypted, but there is an option to encrypt them. The company is in conflict with Russian security agencies because it doesn't want to share data with government agencies.
Telegram was founded by Pavel Durov, who developed VK, a Russian alternative to Facebook.
Wire is another free app that runs on smartphones, tablets and computers. The Swiss company behind it promises the encrypted exchange of texts, photos and videos. In addition, individual and group calls are possible.
You can also use Wire to share images and audio files from services such as SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube. The code is open source and according to the company its servers are in Germany and Ireland. — dpa
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