I have Signal but I can’t use it with anyone. They use WhatsApp to communicate with their family, friends and loved ones. When I try to convince them to use Signal, one cited the US Government leak where the group chat leaked about the bombing Houthis and another one said that all online messengers are controlled by the CIA. So how can I convince them or should I just conform and download WhatsApp even if I don’t want to
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“Meta, who owns WhatsApp, is a hacker group who sells information to the US government. The fact that the US government prefers to use Signal speaks volumes.”
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I do the trick with delayed replies.
For example, if you write me on WhatsApp I take 48 to 72 hours for a reply, while on Signal I take 1 second to 24 hours.
If people want something from me fast, they need to send me a Signal message or visit my IRL.
And that’s not even on purpose, since I don’t have Google installed I just get inconsistent or even no notifications at all about new messages on WhatsApp, while Signal works without Google Play Services.
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I shifted my family and close friends to signal. people who trust me and value my friendship easily made a signal account just because I told them that its better than whatsapp.
The rest, haven’t, and I don’t really care about them, this has allowed me to stay in touch with people who are closer to me in a more efficient way and cut down on unnecessary chatting and checking my whatsapp, which has become a lite version of facebook with a whole status and channels tab.
like @Onscreen5341 said, on signal I reply asap, but I don’t check whatsapp more than a few times a day, so if someone is trying to get in touch or wants to be closer friends with me would bring it up and i’ll give them a pep talk…
this works for me
the chats were leaked by someone in the group (afaik) that could be the case for any conversation, the leaks weren’t due to a flaw in signal’s protocol. And if your friends are knowledgeable enough and value privacy, tell them that edward snowden uses signal.
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Signal was never compromised during any part of the “Signalgate” saga.
They added a journalist to a group they shouldn’t have and they used a clone app that copied all messages to an insecure database. Both are just as much of a risk with WhatsApp.
As for the one that thinks all messengers are CIA psyops, there’s no convincing someone that paranoid.
Maybe an argument around why congress would need to use a clone app that intentionally compromises security if they already have access to it.
@NYFlatline’s response isn’t a bad start. Meta paid billions for WhatsApp after all. It’s not like they didn’t recoup that cost by selling personal information to anyone willing to pay for it.
But honestly leaving WhatsApp is a struggle. Especially with elderly family. And not everyone is willing to run two messengers.
At some point just not using it anymore is the only way forward.
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Besides being the best way to contact you, the most effective way to convince people to switch to Signal is to try to appeal to features they’d find useful. There’s a thread on Privacy Guides where people brainstormed some of its other benefits but I’d also search this forum to be sure you don’t miss any.
I have dealt with these people before. They’re so paranoid about nothing being “truly secure” and their foolishness results in them choosing worse options than your proposed alternative. I’d agree with everything @BiggishDoctor said and I’d try those arguments out. If the security angle fails you can also try to promote Signal from the angle of free software which has benefits beyond security.
(Open for a tangent on Signal & free software.)
Signal isn’t ideal if free software was your primary concern but you shouldn’t get into that nuance with them. On the off chance they call out Signal for having shortcomings, AFAIK SimpleX Chat should be a 100% free/libre alternative while being even more secure/private than Signal. The paranoid friend might also appreciate it not having a phone number requirement.
The main downside is that SimpleX Chat might not be as easy to use or feature-rich as Signal at the moment. I haven’t used it in a long time but Session might be easier to use than SimpleX Chat considering it’s more mature, just keep in mind it isn’t as secure as Signal and is no longer recommended by Privacy Guides.
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Haven’t figured that one out myself. People around me still use WahtsApp. Some of them use Signal to contact me at least. Since I’m usually the one to solve other peoples problems and not one to have them solve mine and I’m not a fan of text-chat in general, I’m mostly fine with it.
If you ever decide to install WahtsApp again, try the following:
- Somebody gives you your number or contacts you via WhatsApp.
- Tell them “By the way, I’ve given your personal information to an advertising company. I hope that’s alright with you.“
- When somebody gets mad, let them went a little and them explain calmly, how Meta is an Advertising Company which collects all your contacts information via WhatsApp.
I really like to know, if that will actually get through to someone.
You can also do it the other way around, when someone asks for your phone number / contact information. Ask them:
- Please do not share that information with an advertising company.
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As stated in previous replies, Signal hasn’t been compromised. So, an argument could be that you can talk about more sensitive discussions, i.e NSFW, or controversial topics, without the information getting sold to third parties.
Another way, could be to get them to try it. Once they have downloaded, and created a account, they will use it for communication with you. And because more people will have it, they might communicate with each other on Signal instead.
Here is what I would say:
“Could you at least try Signal? You could use it for a week, communicating with me, and if you run into any problems, you don’t have to use it.
Say this to your friends and family. The more you get into Signal, the easier it will be to get others to use it.
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You can try explaining that Signal is open-source, super private, and doesn’t store your chats like WhatsApp does. But honestly, if your friends and family won’t switch, it might just be easier to keep WhatsApp for staying in touch and use Signal with the few people who care about privacy as much as you do. It’s really about finding a balance between privacy and convenience.