Moroccan Users Flock to Signal as WhatsApp Privacy Concerns Grow

At the origin of this flight of WhatsApp users is a change in the platform’s terms of use that will take effect from February 8, 2021. This change implies that it will no longer be possible to use WhatsApp if one refuses to share personal data with Facebook. This data will be used to offer services to businesses, particularly in the field of customer relations.

Faced with this new regulation, many users have rushed to the Signal messaging app, which is now at the top of downloads on the iOS App Store and the Android Google Play Store. This software, launched in 2014, is said to respect the privacy of its users. In 2020, the Mozilla Foundation, which develops Firefox, has designated it as the "most secure communication application". Last February, the European Commission recommended Signal to all its employees for communication with external persons.

On Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, the world’s new richest man, and whistleblower Edward Snowden have called on internet users to use it. Moroccans seem to have been sensitive to these calls.