Last week, the news that WhatsApp would change its privacy policy and force users to share personal information with its parent company, Facebook, hit the Internet As you can imagine, the news hit like a huge explosion in an elevator

Since then, millions of users have left WhatsApp for other apps that are the best encrypted messaging apps available

The crux of the matter is that when WhatsApp was sold to Facebook in 2014, it was pledged that WhatsApp's famous user privacy policy would remain However, that changed in 2016 when WhatsApp began sharing user data with Facebook

As of February 8, the data sharing with Facebook changed and users would have no say in the matter; WhatsApp issued a statement to the contrary, claiming that nothing would change, but people are still angry [WhatsApp has since downplayed how much data was actually shared with Facebook, promising that contacts, location, logs, and message content would remain private

According to the FAQ, the changes are intended for messaging with companies on WhatsApp and are intended to increase transparency in data collection and use

Various Facebook executives are trying to set the record straight on Twitter, but it seems people have already made up their minds

This is not surprising, given Facebook's abysmal track record on user privacy and Apple's mandate for privacy labels in its App Store, which has led to Facebook-owned apps displaying the dreaded privacy label Not surprising

As a result, many people are leaving the app According to analysis firm Sensor Tower (via BBC News), encrypted messaging app Signal has since increased from 246,000 downloads the week before WhatsApp's launch to 88 million

Signal was also endorsed by Elon Musk on Twitter last week, and has subsequently shot to the top of the app store charts on both Android and iOS devices

Similarly, Telegram, which offers encrypted messaging and complete user privacy, gained another 25 million users in the 72 hours before January 12 It is in second place in the app store behind Signal

If you are not convinced that WhatsApp is going to clarify the situation and want to switch to something that supposedly does not collect your data, here are some of the best options available

Signal is one of the most obvious choices for those who value privacy and security This messaging service has gained support from the likes of Elon Musk and Edward Snowden

Signal is not only completely free, but also supports text messaging, voice, video, and group calls Messages can be set to self-destruct, and if you prefer to send messages from your desktop machine instead, you can use the Chrome browser plugin

Signal's open source end-to-end encryption protocol is also used by WhatsApp

Signal apps are regularly audited for software security to ensure both security and a user-friendly interface that even a technophobic uncle can handle

Signal is headed by cryptography expert and self-proclaimed anarchist Moxie Marlinspike and WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who famously left Facebook in 2017 after a public battle over WhatsApp's future, and is non It is owned and operated by a non-profit foundation headed by WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who famously left Facebook after a public dispute over the future of WhatsApp in 2017

Download Signal: Android, iOS

If you want to use something similar to WhatsApp but linked to a phone number, Telegram is another option Nevertheless, experts point out that Telegram's service is not that secure and end-to-end encryption is not set by default Its worth remembering that

Nevertheless, Telegram has options to share files, self-delete messages, and chat with groups of up to 200,000 people It can also synchronize messages across all devices and costs absolutely nothing to use

Download Telegram: Android, iOS

If you are an iPhone or Mac user, sometimes the simplest option is the best

Not only can you send messages to all phone numbers, whether they use iMessage or not, but Apple has a track record of not giving in to government demands to add backdoors to encryption So your messages remain secure (unless someone can read your iCloud backup)

iMessage is full-featured like other popular messaging apps, supporting images, GIFs, video, and group calls In some countries, iMessage users can also send each other money using Apple Pay

Video and voice calls are not included in iMessage and must be made with the FaceTime app instead It is unclear why iMessage and FaceTime were not integrated into one communication app, but that is the reality At least it is already installed on every iPhone and most Macs

Google Messages is Google's answer to iMessage and is available to all Android users via Google Play, often right out of the box

Designed to replace existing SMS apps and integrated with all Google services, Google Messages is essentially iMessage, but for Android (and Windows, not Mac or iOS)

End-to-end encryption is automatic, and images and files can be sent just like WhatsApp and other services

Messages does not have video and voice calling That's right: just as iMessage and FaceTime are still separated for some reason, so are Messages and Duo

The good news is that Duo is likely already installed on your Android phone

Download Google Messages: Android

Download Google Duo: Threema, Wickr Me, Viber, Silent Phone for $10/month, or whatever else you you're sure to find one that works for you