WhatsApp’s new privacy policy has upset people. But how much data does it collect compared to other messaging apps like Signal, Telegram and Facebook Messenger? If you are also thinking the same, then let us know that the new policy shows that WhatsApp collects a lot of your data. Apps owned by Facebook (Messenger and WhatsApp) collect your data and location information unlike other apps. Whereas, Signal feels like the most private and secure messaging app in comparison and as per the privacy details highlighted on the App Store, this app does not collect any kind of user data. Maybe that could be the reason, Facebook criticized Apple’s move to show privacy labels some time back.

The information available on the App Store suggests that when it comes to collecting user data, Facebook Messenger collects the most data after WhatsApp. User data collected by both apps includes users’ purchase history, financial information, location information, contacts, phone numbers, email IDs and usage data. Let us tell you that WhatsApp is currently being used by more than 400 million people in India.

Below we are giving you information about the user data collected by WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger and Telegram.

WhatsApp

• Device ID
• User ID
• Advertising Data
• Purchase History
• Course Location
• phone number
• Email Address
• Contacts
• Product Interaction
• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data
• Payment Info
• Customer Support
• Product Interaction
• Other User Content

Facebook Messenger

• Purchase History
• Other Financial Info
• Precise Location
• Course Location
• Physical Address
• Email Address
• Name
• phone number
• Other User Contact Info
• Contacts
• Photos or Videos
• Gameplay Content
• Other User Content
• Search History
• Browsing History
• User ID
• Device ID
• Product Interaction
• Advertising Data
• Other Usage Data
• Crash Data
• Performance Data
• Other Diagnostic Data
• Other Data Types
• Browsing History
• Health
• Fitness
• Payment Info
• Photos or Videos
• Audio Data
• Gameplay Content
• Customer Support
• Other User Content
• Search History
• Sensitive Info
• iMessage
• email address
• Phone number search history
• Device ID

Telegram

• Contact Info
• Contacts
• User ID

Signal

• no data. (Signal app stores only your phone number and the app does not link this phone number to your identity)

Let us tell you that the developers themselves submit the information of the apps on the Apple App Store. But still, other companies, including Facebook, keep a lot of information in their lengthy privacy policy that is not read by a large number of their users.