Ahmed Shaami
WhatsApp loses millions of users because of their poorly explained terms update. People have already shifted to alternatives apps such as Signal and Telegram. The number in millions is enough to cause a huge panic in the Facebook camp
The Scenario:
WhatsApp issued a policy update to its users saying that after 8th February, the users who do not agree will have to leave the platform. Such has been a backlash that the company has been forced to delay the implementation of new terms.
According to an analytics firm Annie, WhatsApp falls from the eight most downloaded app in the UK. Surprisingly, Signal a WhatsApp competitor was not even in the top 1000 downloadable apps in the UK but after Elon Musk tweet, the app is now the most downloaded app in the country.
“We want to be clear that the policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family in any way,” WhatsApp issued a statement on its website.
According to The Guardian, App Annie director of market insights, Amir Ghodrati said
“These types of shifts in messaging and social networking apps are not unusual. Due to the nature of social apps and how the primary functionality involves communicating with others, their growth can often move quite quickly, based on current events. We’ve seen growing demand over the last few years for encrypted messaging and apps focused on privacy.”
A balanced competition:
Whatsapp losing millions of users is actually a blessing in disguise for international app stakeholders. After all, there have been huge circles of discussions pivoting around breaking Facebook and Facebook-owned companies as they have become huge enough to become a narrative builder in the U.S and the rest of the world.
With new players balancing the power and acquiring new customers the competition will be balanced and most importantly fair enough. This was a need of an hour and somehow courtesy WhatsApp new policy update, the axe has fallen on the Facebook’s feet.
