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New data protection rules for WhatsApp: Survey shows surprising reactions from many users

2021-06-25T06:28:21.326Z


WhatsApp had to endure a lot of criticism after the announcement of new data protection rules. But did this cost the chat service many users? A survey gives answers.


WhatsApp had to endure a lot of criticism after the announcement of new data protection rules.

But did this cost the chat service many users?

A survey gives answers.

Munich - After the announcement to change its data protection rules, WhatsApp came under massive criticism.

Indignation spread among many users.

There were calls for users to leave the messenger service en masse and delete the app from their smartphones.

However, a current online survey by the Yougov opinion research institute, which was commissioned by the

dpa

, now

paints

a different picture.

The survey of June 2021 among a total of 2029 people showed: Apparently WhatsApp remains indispensable for many smartphone owners.

At least in Germany.

WhatsApp: The majority of users remain loyal to the chat service despite new data protection rules

According to the survey, 79 percent said they continued to have WhatsApp installed and used on their smartphone.

More than half of the respondents (52 percent) have already agreed to the new data protection rules that have been in effect since mid-May.

WhatsApp currently has over two billion users worldwide (as of June 2021).

In contrast, 13 percent of the survey participants said they would want to delete the app. About half of these graduates had concerns about data protection even before the new WhatsApp regulations. For around five percent of those surveyed, these only developed through the debate about the new WhatsApp rules. Almost two percent of the survey participants say they want to switch to the chat service because the majority of their contacts are no longer with WhatsApp.

The question still arises to what extent the departure from WhatsApp will last longer.

At just three percent of those surveyed, the proportion of those who deleted the app from their smartphones within the past twelve months is very low.

In addition, a return to the popular chat service cannot be ruled out.

Eight percent of those surveyed had already removed WhatsApp once, but then decided to reinstall the chat service.

The reason for this was often the high number of WhatsApp users among their own contacts.

Many users lack the alternative with WhatsApp - they stay despite concerns

For many, however, it is evidently a kind of necessary evil to continue using WhatsApp.

Almost 50 percent of the WhatsApp users surveyed had a queasy feeling about data protection.

Around a third even admitted concerns, but feared that they would have to accept poor accessibility without the app.

In addition, around 14 percent of the survey participants do not see a good alternative on the market despite their doubts about the behavior of WhatsApp.

Signal was still the most popular WhatsApp alternative, according to around 27 percent of the people in the survey.

Telegram came just behind at 26 percent.

Threema (16 percent), classic SMS (15 percent) and Facebook Messenger (13 percent) were less popular.

(kh / dpa)

List of rubric lists: © Christoph Dernbach / dpa

Source: merkur

All life articles on 2021-06-25

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