Anyone who has ventured online in any form in the last few days will have noticed: WhatsApp has started a first-class shit storm with the new changes to its terms and conditions! Of course, we have also reported on it and compiled a detailed overview of all the changes to the terms and conditions.

The deadline for acceptance is May 15, but as the date has been known for quite some time now, we want to know if you’ve already made up your mind.

Question 1: Have you accepted the new T&Cs?

According to WhatsApp, the new terms of service are primarily intended to simplify communication between private individuals and companies. However, by accepting them, you also allow the company to share more user data with Facebook, which is exactly why many users and experts see the changes as critical.

WhatsApp said in a statement that “a majority of users have accepted the new terms”. In my private circle of friends and acquaintances, I also see few users who have switched to a WhatsApp alternative. So how is it with you guys?

Personally, I’ve been holding off on accepting the new T&Cs. Typical procrastination of responsibility but I think eventually I will be forced to agree to the terms. Attempts to convince key social contacts to switch have already failed. But speaking of alternatives.

Question 2: Have you switched to an alternative?

In the comments under our WhatsApp articles, I kept reading preferences for certain messengers. The fact that Elon Musk is in favor of the free alternative Signal is no longer a secret after his Twitter message in January.

As we wrote in an older article, Signal has also made a real effort to become interesting for WhatsApp skeptics. In doing so, it is truly not difficult to outdo the meager feature set and design of the popular messenger. A topic that we go into detail again in our reasons against WhatsApp.

First, I would like to ask you a second question: Have you switched to an alternative because of the new T&Cs, do you want to stay with WhatsApp or have you sworn off the messenger before or never used it?

I can already see the cool kids bragging in the comments that they never used WhatsApp! But please don’t bash WhatsApp advocates in the comments. If you like the app, only use it to reach your friends and sacrifice a little privacy for it, you have a right to do so!

Question 3: Which alternative did you switch to?

Last but not least, as part of our poll of the week, we can pick one app to emerge as the winner from the whole WhatsApp mess. Which messenger app do you think is the best alternative? It’s not necessarily about which messenger you use, so I haven’t enabled multiple choices.

Again, to take the wind out of the sails of those readers who prefer to communicate with a galvanic telegraph, I’ve picked out and listed the 10 most popular messengers from the Google Play Store above. For Apple fans, I’ve also listed iMessage, of course, and for everything else, there’s the “Other” column!

Even though the whole WhatsApp issue is a contentious topic, I would like to know your motivations for switching or staying with WhatsApp in the comments. I myself believe that the social component plays a bigger role than many users think. So stay objective, friends!