Does it matter if things are true or made up? Yes.

Yeah, that is a very good point. As consumers we need to demand more ethical reporting. Further, we should be demanding some mechanism to remove unethical reporting from our social news sites (like HN). This sort sort of moderation is ripe for abuse, but I don't think there is an alternative. Social media has proven that crowd consensus does not select for truthful or in-depth reporting.

Unfortunately, it's likely we'll never get a rigorous proof of malfeasance. Thus do you go with WhatsApp as a homosexual in Russia or Iran, or as protestor in Hong Kong against the Chinese government, given that Facebook has given us plenty of reasons to distrust them?

I'm not saying to trust Facebook. I think it is wise not to trust them. Just because I don't trust Facebook doesn't mean that I should assume by default that every allegation against Facebook is true.

Except the landscape here is: it is known to be true, or it is unknown and should be assumed to be true.

I don't trust Facebook and thus I wouldn't trust WhatsApp. That has nothing to do with whether or not it matters if specific allegations against Facebook are true.

It doesn't even matter whether they're willing, that they're capable is enough reason for prejudice.

Software which people's civil liberties depend upon should be developed in the open, auditable by the public, as a minimum. Even then, developers need to be vigilant about tainting by state actors.

Yes it matters, these sorts of thing is what sets the standard for all future apps.

We are moving ever more towards 1984.

Perhaps it's time to push back and start using better apps then.

That is what I was trying to say. The article might be garbage, but WhatsApp is still effectively compromised.

By that argument, w all are going to be dide someday does it matter we nuke the planet. The point is "Resistence is not futile".