[deanhills]

I wonder why there is so much hysteria about this topic?  When the company that owns your SIM card has total control over your privacy details.  And is allowed to sell that information to other parties. It even has the right - depending which country it is - to provide your personal information to Government agencies. Like how many of us get spam messages because of our information that has been shared by our SIM card provider to third parties and those third parties with other third parties?  For example in South Africa one of the providers (that I know off, there are more out in the world), has an arrangement with third party games providers, so much so, if you have a billing agreement with your SIM Card Provider, where you get your phone service as part of a monthly account rather than prepaid, if you should opt for any of the services that are rubbed under your nose through spam messages and by accident click on a games link (some of those links are deliberately designed to trap so you have to be really savvy not to click on it), you could be charged, without even knowing you are charged directly via the third party games company through your SIM Card Billing.  No popups come up, or agreement window or anything like that to ask your permission, or to warn you you're now being charged.  First you know of this is when you receive your bill from your SIM provider at the end of the month. And then that SIM provider pleads innocence, and says it's your fault and can't undo it because the billing comes via a third party - like it takes months to get out of an arrangement like that. I saw that happening to an 83 year old lady.  Imagine the stress she went through - it took her 6 months to resolve and she's still waiting for compensation. Imagine all of the old people who can barely use a smart phone with their fingers.  Like shocking! When I was in Canada I had an almost similar experience with being spammed by phone calls and messages.  

OK, so on the WhatsApp topic, isn't it better just to make sure Facebook doesn't have your personal info?  Like as far as I understand anyway, this only affects new users and business users.  That as an existing user you will still have the option to opt out of becoming part of Facebook if you are a WhatsApp user.  My limits would be if I would see any Facebook messages popping up on my WhatsApp.  So far I haven't seen any of those messages popping up.  No spam at all.  But yes, PLENTY of spam messages from my SIM CARD provider.

BTW.  When I first started to use my Smart Phone in 2016, I noticed that Samsung and Google must be in cahoots with Facebook too.  Like they were trying to force me to sign up with Facebook.  One of the first things I did when I started using the phone was to disconnect and delete Facebook and all of the other platforms - like Instagram that think they own the world and right to be there under my nose.  Initially I used the phone with my e-mails with my Google account, but after a while, the way the phone is set up with Google, I decided to delete that e-mail app too. I only do e-mails through my desktop because of how insecure I feel about privacy on my phone. But yes, I'm on Whatsapp for family and friends.  Common sense says that Whatsapp is going to be OK for a while because of how many users it's lost and it will try to get them back.  But yes, maybe when things have quietened down Whatsapp will do what Zuckerman of Facebook intended for it to be done - like fully integrated with Facebook.  Bottomline here is whatsapp belongs to Zuckerman.    

People are complaining about Whatsapp, but I think Google is worse.  All Android phones are deeply connected to Google.  So if we talk about privacy, then include all media platforms that are in the same category as Facebook.  I'd put Google and most popular browsers on top of the list.  Microsoft for sure with Windows.  Like all of the "FREE" services, that aren't really that free at all if one thinks about it.  Most of all the Air Time we get from our SIM provider is just as bad with safeguarding our private information.  There should be stricter rules about the safekeeping of our private info with our SIM providers.  Yet no one talks about it?

Bottom line for me.  Be careful before you provide your phone number to any provider.  Question mark it when you're asked for it.  Particularly "in the name of security".  Or get a separate phone number with which to manage your smart phone dealings with the media.  Be as savvy and with it as Zuckerman is. And particularly don't go for the herd mentality. I still wonder to this day why people feel they have to subscribe to Facebook in their own names. And most of all be forced to give up their phone numbers. Surely there should be some legislation against that?