Messenger and Instagram are two apps from Facebook, where security and encryption do not take the spotlight, unlike WhatsApp.
Facebook has been on a roll in the past decade, gobbling up competition in their way. In this shopping spree, they acquired WhatsApp and Instagram. Both of these are leaders in their category and are widely used around the world.
However, despite being from the same company, they don’t offer the same basic security necessity expected from an app. Instead, only WhatsApp is the most secure. Instagram and Messenger both have questionable security features. Now, Facebook wants its users to cross-use the unsecured pair.
Messenger and Instagram crossover
Last week, Facebook rolled out a colorful update on Messenger and Instagram. The update is simple, but Instagram users will now be deprived of the signature paper airplane messenger.
Instead, they will see a Messenger icon in its place. The features will be the same as the normal Messenger app. The pack includes, swipe to reply, additional emojis, and a new colorful look. However, Instagram users may still not send DMs directly to Facebook users. Nevertheless, it is still on the pipeline.
Facebook is attempting to unify all of its apps’ chat features into one product. As such, the future will be one major platform where users from different Facebook-owned companies can chat with each other.
Unfortunately, it still might take a little while before this becomes a reality. Also, major back-end changes still have to be put in place to ensure its users’ security. Otherwise, data of different users may be compromised.
Is shifting to Messenger now worth it?
The answer to this question is ‘no,’ according to Forbes’ contributing writer Zak Doffman. Until Facebook sorts out end-to-end encryption, Messenger and Instagram users should stay put. He said,
“Ignore Instagram’s Messenger update. Don’t let its DMs become too sticky for you. Sure, send DMs to third-parties, but for your personal content reward those platforms—like WhatsApp—that put your security first.”
He’s headstrong in suggesting that users must make the shift now to WhatsApp. If not, they will have to live with a company that harvests users’ data for marketing. Doffman has a strong take. If the U.S. government is wary of TikTok’s data harvesting, it should be this wary for Facebook.
After all, Facebook and Instagram are just both marketing platforms. They make money off of users’ data and sell them to advertisers. As such, if the users don’t want their data monetized, then they should make a shift now to a much more secure platform.
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