Don't Fret! This will only affect people in the EU. Is now the time for telegram to shine? Here is why you should install telegram!
WhatsApp has announced a few updates on their privacy policies which will take effect on the 25th of May this year, ahead of the introduction of new EU privacy laws this month. The Facebook-owned chat app will no longer allow people under the age of 16 to use the messenger.
Until now, WhatsApp has allowed 13 year-olds to join the messaging service – however, from May 25 and with the introduction of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it will increase for those inside the EU.
What exactly is going to happen?
In a few weeks, users will need to confirm their age as part of new terms of services. WhatsApp said it was not asking for any new rights to collect personal information as part of the new terms. "Our goal is simply to explain how we use and protect the limited information we have about you," the company said.
Is it only WhatsApp?
No! Facebook and Twitter have also been updating their terms of service ahead of the GDPR launch, in order to bring their businesses in line with the new regulations – which require clear consent from users to access their data. The regulations also give users greater powers to access and control how their data is used, and the right to have personal data erased.
What of Telegram?
As of now, we have heard nothing from Telegram in relation to the GDPR and the change in their age restriction policy and I am very positive there is not going to be any change in their age policies. As one of the major competitors with WhatsApp, I think this is their time to shine.
UPDATE: Telegram just updated their policies and in compliance with the GDPR, they have also lifted their age restrictions to 16.
What is Telegram?
If you haven't heard of Telegram (which I doubt), it came 3-4 years after WhatsApp. It also gained popularity because people were concerned very much about their privacy and panicked by the rumours that WhatsApp sells your data.
Telegram came up with an end to end encrypted messaging option but now WhatsApp has that too. Still, Telegram has many more features which makes it special and creating Channels is just one of them.
5 Reasons why you should Install Telegram...
1. Finding Friends
On Telegram, you can search for a person by his/her username. Not just for searching a person, this feature is usually used by the users to discover new channels across the platform.2. Sending And Receiving Messages Or Data & Maximum File Size Allowed
With Telegram, you can send much more data at once. The maximum size of the video for sharing on WhatsApp is 16 MB while document size can be up to 100 MB. Most of the time WhatsApp compresses the size of photo or video which affects its quality. But Telegram allows you to send any Video or file of Size up to 1.5 GB.3. Channels And Bots
There is no such thing as a channel or bot on WhatsApp.
Telegram has it all. Thousands of channels on Telegram are managed by common people or sometimes enterprises. They are available in different categories like Animals, Animes, Art & Design, Celebs, Education, Entertainment, Fashion & Beauty, Gaming, Fitness, Health and the list does not end.
When you join a WhatsApp group, all the members there can see your phone number by going to your profile. It’s not the case for Telegram. You have all options to remain anonymous even after joining a group.
4. Groups
On WhatsApp maximum numbers of members allowed to add in a group is 256 against 100 thousand on Telegram. Yes, 100,000 is the number.When you join a WhatsApp group, all the members there can see your phone number by going to your profile. It’s not the case for Telegram. You have all options to remain anonymous even after joining a group.
5. Data Backup
This is the feature that I love on Telegram. On WhatsApp, you have the option to choose the local storage on your device or on Google Drive/iCloud or both. Despite doing all this I have lost my WhatsApp Data often. There is a fixed time at which backup takes place. If the backup hasn’t been done yet and you lose your Account, you will lose your data too.But Telegram isn’t messed up this way. It has its own cloud storage and all your data is safe. From whichever device you log in, your complete data will be available there just as it happens on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.