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Millions of WhatsApp users migrate to Signal and Telegram
WhatsApp users this week flocked in their millions to other more privacy-based apps like Signal and Telegram after WhatsApp announced they will soon start sharing data with Facebook.
According to Telegram, they recorded an increase of 25 million users in the past 72 hours.
Signal’s Brian Acton said on Tuesday their new user base “exploded” this week.
Acton, who originally co-founded WhatsApp before selling it to Facebook, said Signal won’t sell its users’ data and that it won’t show its users ads.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp has now responded to the mass exodus of users and published an FAQ clarifying the terms of its updated privacy policy and responding to concerns that the firm behind the text-messaging app shares personal information with parent company Facebook.
WhatsApp noted the update doesn’t affect the privacy of messages with friends and family, and instead relates to messaging businesses through the platform.
The company also said the update “provides further transparency about how we collect and use data.”
WhatsApp emphasized that neither it nor Facebook can see users’ private messages or hear their calls and that WhatsApp also doesn’t keep logs of who people message or call, can’t see your shared location (neither can Facebook), doesn’t share users’ contacts with Facebook and keeps WhatsApp groups private.
The publication of the FAQ follows calls from privacy advocates, concerned users and, notably, Elon Musk, to ditch the Facebook-owned messaging app and instead opt for encrypted messaging apps like Signal.
WhatsApp says personal messages are also protected by end-to-end encryption, but it has for years openly collected certain user data to share with Facebook.
However as experts explained, even WhatsApp has no means of accessing content in transit, while the messages on your phone are protected by the security of your device.
The issue is metadata – the who, when and where around your messages, as well as your contacts and information about your device.
WhatsApp does collect too much data, much more than the likes of Signal, Telegram and iMessage. But when compared to apps like Facebook, Messenger, Google, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, it collects very little.
So, unless you avoid those others, WhatsApp isn’t your biggest problem.
That being said, WhatsApp basically says the changes will mostly affect business accounts and people who chat with businesses, where the data will be used to apparently improve on the experience as well as help create more personalized ads.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan risk spiralling into further deadly conflict unless both sides return to dialogue.
In a recent statement, the organisation said last week’s strike on a hospital in Kabul marked a significant escalation, pushing already strained relations closer to direct confrontation. Analysts say ongoing exchanges of airstrikes and artillery fire have heightened fears of a broader regional crisis.
The attack on a major drug rehabilitation hospital in the Afghan capital reportedly killed more than 400 people and injured at least 265, drawing international concern.
Islamabad has accused Kabul of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory—an allegation Afghan authorities deny. Kabul has instead condemned Pakistan’s military actions as violations of its sovereignty.
The ICG warned that current trends point to an escalating cycle of violence that could result in significant military costs with little strategic gain for Pakistan.
At the same time, the group noted that the fighting has further isolated Afghanistan diplomatically.
While several countries expressed condolences following the 16 March strike, there has been limited international condemnation of Pakistan’s actions, alongside increasing calls for Kabul to curb militant activity within its borders.
The organisation stressed the urgent need for international support to help both countries rebuild trust and address shared security threats. Without renewed engagement, it cautioned, further deadly violence appears unavoidable.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that a mortar shell of the Pakistani military regime hit Shanpat area of Nari district of Kunar province at 9:30 am on Sunday, killing one civilian and wounding another.
The injured person is a woman, he said.
Pakistani forces also opened fire on a civilian vehicle in Shakin district of Paktika province, but no casualties were reported, Fitrat said.
The Pakistani government had earlier announced that it would halt its attacks on Afghanistan until Monday night on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Germany was not informed of the appointment of a new Afghan diplomat in Berlin, according to a report by public broadcaster ARD, raising fresh questions about the Islamic Emirate’s expanding control over overseas missions.
The report states that an IEA-linked official has assumed the role of chargé d’affaires at Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin without prior approval from the German government. Under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, host countries must consent to such diplomatic appointments.
Germany does not formally recognize the IEA government, which returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces.
Undisclosed leadership role
According to ARD, the official—identified as Nebrasul H.—arrived in Berlin in July last year as a junior consular staff member, a position approved by German authorities. However, documents obtained by the broadcaster suggest he was also quietly appointed to lead the embassy.
He is reportedly acting as chargé d’affaires, effectively heading the mission and liaising directly with Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul.
The move highlights the IEA’s efforts to consolidate authority over Afghan diplomatic missions abroad, despite lacking broad international recognition.
Berlin ‘not notified’
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it had received “no notification of any personnel changes” at Afghan diplomatic missions in the country.
Berlin has consistently maintained that Afghan embassies should remain under representatives appointed by the former government of Ashraf Ghani, which was ousted in 2021.
Previous envoy sidelined
The report also claims that the previous head of mission, Abdul P., has been stripped of his authority and reduced to a largely symbolic role. He was originally appointed under the Ghani administration.
Despite being sidelined, he remains in Berlin, reportedly continuing to live in the ambassador’s residence and retaining diplomatic privileges.
Wider diplomatic shift
In a related development, ARD reported that another Afghan official who arrived alongside Nebrasul H. has assumed a leadership role at the Afghan consulate in Bonn, also without formal recognition from German authorities.
The developments suggest a broader strategy by the IEA to assert control over Afghanistan’s diplomatic presence in Europe, even in countries that do not officially recognize its rule.
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