WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using app

Re:WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebo... by thayne on Wednesday January 06, 2021 @11:10PM (#25667187)

Signal is also open source, so if they do somehow become for-profit, it can always be forked.

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Re:WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebo... by est31 on Thursday January 07, 2021 @12:28AM (#25667594)

You would only be able to fork the client, not the network. Signal doesn't want forks or third party rebuilds e.g. from F-Droid to connect to their main network.

Most people use these apps for the network. The app without the network is useless, but any fork would initially be in this situation.

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Re:WhatsApp gives users an ultimatum: Share data with Facebo... by thayne on Thursday January 07, 2021 @11:34AM (#25673168)

> You would only be able to fork the client

The signal server is also open source. The absence of federation does mean you would also need to get all of your contacts to move to a different service as well, but it is better than a proprietary system. I do wish Signal was more open to federation and/or alternative clients though.

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