WhatsApp

A messenger from Facebook.

Anti-Features / Problems:

• Surveillance

  Surveillance, also presented sometimes to the user as Telemetry, Analytics or Targeted Advertising - is a feature of collecting personal information, or information about the use of the software by the company that provided the software. Or sometimes even, by a third party like Google Analytics or ID.me. The company may try to justify such a malicious behavior by pointing the user on the immediate benefits of the surveillance. Like: "You will get ads specifically chosen for you". This is just a tactic to ease the fact that you are being watched. More about surveillance you can see on GNU.ORG/MALWARE.

• Non-Free Software

  Who controls your computer? You may think it's you, but all you do is give commands to the software that might or might not be programmed to do what you wish it to do. And it's controlled by the programmer. Therefor the programmer controls your computer. You can control it only as much as the programmer lets you. The only way to truly control your computer is to be the programmer. Or at least to be able to be the programmer if you will need it. Free Software is software that respects your needs to control it. Free Software is software that legally gives each user the the four essential freedoms and the source code to make changes in it. Non-Free Software, since the user cannot control it, is a tool of oppression. And since the user cannot see what it does or edit the software, it's usually filled with malware. Learn more about it on GNU.ORG/MALWARE

• Non-Free JavaScript

  In order for the software to be Free, just having the source code is not enough. You need to have a copyright license that gives each user the 4 essential freedoms. JavaScript are little software elements running inside webpages automatically as you load the page. And they might or might not have a Free Software license. On the other hand, companies like to mangle the JavaScript programs enough, so no human reader could ever understand them. Resulting in something similar to a binary program. You can read more about this issue in an article "The JavaScript Trap" by Richard Stallman.

• Requires a Smart-Phone