Jane Edwards
Messaging applications Telegram and Signal saw an increase in downloads worldwide between Jan. 6 and Jan. 10 after Facebook-owned WhatsApp issued an update to its privacy policy on Jan. 4, CNBC reported Tuesday.
Sensor Tower said Signal downloads reached about 7.5M worldwide during the five-day period. Telegram logged 5.6M installs globally, according to Apptopia.
WhatsApp has been sharing certain data such as registration information and transaction data with its parent company Facebook since 2016. However, users had an option to opt out. Beginning Feb. 8, users will receive a notification prompting them to accept the updated policy’s terms to continue using the app.Â
WhatsApp issued a statement Monday saying the updated policy does not affect private messages and will include “changes related to messaging a business on WhatsApp, which is optional, and provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.â€Â
The messaging service added that data shared with Facebook is used to advance security and safety, improve infrastructure and services by personalizing content and offering suggestions.
