Folks who are privacy focused find Signal to be the best option out there. Feel free to read more about it, and make your own choices, but it uses great cryptography, has open implementations and audits, doesn't collect a lot of extra data on it's users, and is purely donation supported.


Adam Becker (he/him)
Director, Application Development & Integration
UO Libraries


On Fri, Jul 18, 2025 at 5:01 AM, Cason Snow <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

Seeing as WhatsApp is owned by Meta (of Facebook and Instagram fame) I wouldn't trust it, ever.

On Thu, Jul 17, 2025 at 4:54 PM charles meyer <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

My esteemed listmates,

As I navigate through the tributaries of cell phone usage, applications and security the app - What'sApp - is repeatedly mentioned.

Have you found it helpful or not?

It seems its purpose is to provide secure communications so if you wanted to share a secure text, photo, video or graphic you'd install that on your Android or iPhone.

I was reading that both (or all) parties to this communication would need to have installed WhatsApp on their respective cell phones, correct?

I'm reluctant (as are library pastors) to add any (or anymore) apps to our cell phones.

1 - everyone wants you to install their app so you could end up with hundreds on your cell.

2- what assurances do we have that whomever owns WhatsApp isn't sharing that info you want kept confidential with others?

Every ejournalist writes articles re: the top 10 apps you should have on your phone.

Are there apps anyone would be willing to share they've found most helpful and why?

Data and security breaches are occurring daily and people's identities are being co-opted and misused by nefarious people so it's become scary to do anything online - even to just check your email as offline alternatives are being eliminated at an alarming pace.

We've helped people in the library who are weeping at what's happened to them and them clueless about how they got there or what to do.

Thank you,

Charles.

Charlotte County Public Library

--
Cason Snow MLIS, MA
Head, Cataloging and Metadata
Principal Cataloger
Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
207-581-1670
he/him

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