this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025

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239

Iran asks its people to delete WhatsApp (apnews.com)

submitted 5 days ago by nutellawaescher@feddit.org to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 95 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Pretty good advice. Although they are probably recommending that for more than just it being a Meta data farming scam.

[+] odder_vassals@lemmy.world -41 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Why is this good advice? They want their people to suffer. They want them to not communicate with the outside world

[–] andallthat@lemmy.world 108 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

They are basically at war with the US and there is this piece of US Tech that nearly everyone is carrying around and that can access their communications, precise location, microphone and camera.

It's also owned by a company, Meta, that has a history of being used as a tool to manipulate public opinion. I have no particular sympathy for Iran's leadership but I can understand why they would advice that (and I don't think WhatsApp is the only way for people to communicate with the outside world).

[–] themurphy@lemmy.ml 31 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Meta is also literally developing AI war machines for the US. That also runs on said data from WhatsApp.

[–] SquiffSquiff@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Okay so they uninstall WhatsApp? What operating systems are they using and what countries are the manufacturers for those based in?

[–] andallthat@lemmy.world 12 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I get what you mean and it's a fair point. But I would still go with Meta as the most immediate threat in a war with the US.

As the ignorant I am, my understanding is that the phone manufacturer has a level of control on the way Android works and so it wouldn't be as easy for Google to access any individual Samsung or Xiaomi phone as it is for Meta with WhatsApp, an app they fully control with permissions to use (way too many) phone features regardless of brand.

Plus, getting both Google and Apple to cooperate and coordinate sounds harder to me than just going to one company, that is basically controlled by only one person.

[–] LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 5 days ago

They are probably using Xiaomi which is based in China, using AOSP with whatever mods they throw on it, which isn't based anywhere and is open source, or it could be Huawei too.

[–] pugnaciousfarter@literature.cafe 16 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Signal is a much better choice and its basically a whatsapp clone.

[–] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

other way around. Whatsapp is a signal clone.

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Huh? I was curious about this and looked up the wikis only. However, WhatsApp initial release was 16 years ago and Signal initial release was 10 years ago. It also appears in the history that WhatsApp had a version on iOS in 2009 while Signal didn’t have anything for Android until 2010 (under Whisper I believe).

I’m trying to figure out how either is a clone of the other when they were developed around the same times. It seems the idea was just a similar idea from two different entities.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

The clone comment likely refers to the underlying architecture, as WhatsApp is using the signal protocol for its 'secured' messaging. Of the two, signal is the far superior choice for anyone not forced to live in Zucco's World. It's the more private option, and is secure by default unlike a lot of apps (namely, telegram).

WhatsApp (thankfully) is secure by default now according to Google, but it took them a hot minute to get to that point. That being said, you're still giving metadata to Zucc no matter what, which is still really bad to give the guy working on military AI...

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Ah. Thank you for that bit of information. I didn’t go super deep because I was mostly just curious about the clone comment and learning a little more about each platform.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world -3 points 4 days ago

Signal is a much better choice and its basically a whatsapp clone.

Must be why signal runs on the WhatsApp protocol

[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

The only people making Iranians suffer at the moment are the Zionist fascists and their US proxies. They've already killed 1200 people in their unprovoked attack, including with terrorism and car bombs.

Don't forget Trump telling the ENTIRE city of Tehran with a population the size of New York to "evacuate"

[–] teolan@lemmy.world 71 points 5 days ago

Unblock signal first?

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 70 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

The right advice but with the wrong motive lol

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 23 points 5 days ago (1 children)

This is excellent advice.

[–] thyristor@lemmy.pt 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

For once I can see eye to eye with a murderous theocratic regime.

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Yeah, that happens sometimes.

[–] Mrkawfee@feddit.uk 23 points 5 days ago (1 children)

US tech is in bed with Zionist fascism.

[–] jabjoe@feddit.uk 11 points 5 days ago

Big US Corp is in bed with money and power. Right now, that means MAGA and that does mean fascism & Zionists. The tech itself can be ok. Though WhatsApp/Facebook isn't.

[–] mariusafa@lemmy.sdf.org 11 points 5 days ago

Mossad angry

[–] tinned_tomatoes@feddit.uk 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Wouldn't want those pesky citizens having the ability to communicate securely, would we !

[–] baduhai@sopuli.xyz 3 points 4 days ago

Communicate securely with WhatsApp? That's an oxymoron.