Former WhatsApp employees target Facebook with private social network
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Two former WhatsApp employees have announced a private, ad-free social network.
- HalloApp also promises end-to-end encrypted chats and that no additional data will be recorded.
Facebook’s business model means that it relies heavily on collecting user information for promotional purposes, which translates into huge profits for the company. But two former WhatsApp veterans have announced their own version of the social network that promises to be the opposite of Facebook.
HalloApp is the brainchild of Neeraj Arora and Michael Donohue, who both worked at WhatsApp before and after Facebook took over the messaging platform. The edge reported. The new service claims to be “the first network of relationships” according to an official blog post. So what does that actually mean?
“Imagine if your friends on the Internet were your real friends. Imagine if your feed weren’t filled with people and posts you don’t care, ”a statement accompanying the post said. “Imagine scrolling through meaningful moments and seeing what you want to see – not what the algorithm wanted you to see. Imagine not being treated like a product. “
If the original WhatsApp team did Facebook?
Instead, HalloApp claims that privacy is an integral part of the service, reminiscent of the earlier days of WhatsApp. The service uses your phone number to register, it has end-to-end encrypted chats, and it uses your contacts to connect you with people.
However, the company says they are not collecting “additional data” from your phone book. In fact, the platform says it doesn’t collect, store, or use any personally identifiable information.
“More importantly, we never show you advertisements. Ever. Instead, we plan to offer additional features at a low cost at some point, ”she adds.
The app itself is pretty simple, with four tabs at the bottom (Home, Groups, Chats, Settings), a shortcut for adding a new post or pictures, and two icons at the top (one for inviting contacts into the app and one for an activity / Notification menu).
HalloApp is now available for download for Android and iOS. You can check the Android version using the button below. Would you still use this service? Let us know via the poll near the top of the page.
