Messaging & Social

Regular SMS texts? Yes, multiple parties can read them.

Who can see SMS:

• Your phone company (stores and can hand over)
• Hackers (known security flaws in phone networks)
• Anyone with phone access

SMS was created in the 1980s. It’s like sending a postcard.

iMessage catch:

Blue bubbles are encrypted. But one Android user in the chat = falls back to insecure SMS.

WhatsApp:

Encrypts messages but collects metadata (who, when, how often) and shares with Facebook.

Solution: Use a messenger built for privacy.

See: Secure messengers

Like passing notes in class — but in secret code only you and your friend know.

How it works:

1. Your phone scrambles the message before sending
2. It travels as gibberish
3. Only the recipient’s device can unscramble it

The key part:

Even the company running the service can’t read your messages. Not employees, not hackers, not governments with court orders.

Why it matters:

Without it, your messages sit readable on company servers — a target for hackers and temptation for companies to scan.

See: Secure messengers (all use E2E encryption)

Kind of. It’s complicated.

Good: Messages are end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp can’t read them.

Bad: They collect everything else:

• Who you talk to and when
• Your contacts
• Device info, IP address
• How you use the app

This metadata goes to Meta (Facebook). They use it for ad profiles.

Backup problem:

Cloud backups may not be encrypted. Google/Apple could access them.

Bottom line:

Better than SMS, but if you want privacy without feeding data to Facebook, there are better options.

See: Private messengers

Step 1: Pick a private messenger with:

• End-to-end encryption
• Minimal data collection
• Open source code

Step 2: Get friends to switch

Instead of lecturing, just say “Hey, trying this app, chat there?” Most will download if asked nicely.

Step 3: Enable extra features

• Disappearing messages
• Screenshot notifications

The hard part:

Privacy tools only work if both sides use them. But private messengers work just like WhatsApp — same experience, more private.

See: Messenger recommendations

“If you’re not paying, you are the product.”

The real cost:

• Your data — everything you post and interact with
• Your attention — algorithms maximize scrolling time
• Your mental health — content optimized for engagement
• Your worldview — filter bubbles reinforce beliefs

The numbers:

Average user generates hundreds of dollars in ad revenue yearly. That’s the value of your data.

You can’t opt out and stay on:

There’s no private mode for Facebook or TikTok. Tracking IS the service.

What to do:

• Use less
• Don’t use real info
• Consider decentralized alternatives
• Accept the trade-off if you stay

Go in with eyes open about what “free” really costs.