some users migrate to ICQ, the ancestor of instant messaging

WhatsApp is facing a real exodus of its users. While most disappointed users turn to Signal or Telegram, many Hong Kong residents instead migrate to ICQ, an instant messaging app popular in the 1990s. Unfortunately, ICQ is no better than Facebook when it comes to privacy. and data protection.

Annoyed by the new WhatsApp terms of service, thousands of users have abandoned the messaging app in favor of more privacy-friendly solutions. Popular apps include Signal, which has boomed 7.5 million users since early January, and Telegram, which has gained 25 million users this month.

According to our colleagues from the Wall Street Journal, some users have chosen another alternative to WhatsApp, ICQ. For those who do not know, ICQ (from the English ” I Seek You “) East one of the first instant messengers in history. Born in the 90s, ICQ quickly became a solid alternative to emails, just like AOL. Bought by AOL in 1998, the service was sold in 2008 to Digital Sky Technologies, a Russian firm that became Mail.ru a few years later.

On the same topic: here are the 5 best messaging alternatives to WhatsApp

WhatsApp announcement boosts ICQ downloads

Since its birth in the 90s, ICQ has obviously evolved. Now the service is also accessible on smartphone via an Android or iOS application. The application offers features similar to WhatsApp and others: video and audio calls, messages, sending stickers, photos or videos. On the Play Store, ICQ describes itself as “The messaging service for those who are always online”.

Since the beginning of January 2021, the mobile version of ICQ has registered a 35% increase in downloads. According to the media outlet, ICQ recovers many users who deserted WhatsApp after the announcement of data sharing with Facebook. The service would capitalize in particular on the nostalgia of Internet users who knew ICQ in the 90s. However, it should be noted that Mail.ru, which develops ICQ, is not not an example when it comes to confidentiality and privacy. The Moscow-based Russian firm has been repeatedly accused of violating data protection laws.

Source: Wall Street Journal