Not Even WhatsApp? Then Who Can You Trust?

Remember back then WhatsApp introduced the "view once" feature for pic, video or voices that can only open once? It just another extra step toward privacy concern where almost every brands today just going more onto engagements and capturing attention, relying on the trust of brand's reputation. The recent declaration by WhatsApp, “Not Even WhatsApp”, hits hard. It's a direct response to global crisis of confidence in digital communication. Now if the demands of end-to-end encryption and private messaging are all time high, how can even big brands adapting to this?

The Privacy Awakening

As WhatsApp’s largest campaign to date, “Not Even WhatsApp” campaign been launch recently with 1 minute long commercial, with emphasize on that even WhatsApp are able to listen or read user's private conversation. Their message is clear and loud enough, it shows Meta's main focus on making privacy as core service for WhatsApp.

While more user with growing demand for encrypted spaces. WhatsApp start making the right call by showing privacy can be a product feature which different from others. As newer generation become more tech savvy, brands failed to adopt secure and safe communication methods are at high risk of losing trust overtime.

High Demand for End-to-End Encryption

The focal point of the campaign, WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption technology, which make messages only between the users and their contacts. While also rolling out new privacy feature known as Advanced Chat Privacy. Now even able to blocking others from taking the content out (such as exporting chats). Providing a higher confidence for chats in between for those want extra layers of privacy even more (other than disappearing messages & view once). Expecting more refined privacy features from WhatsApp in future.

The Global Shift to More Private Conversations

Supporting on private channels are reasons why platform like Telegram are booming, even more on regions with strong censorship on mainstream platforms. People prefer on such "invite-only" groups which able to freely communicate, engage without the fear of "undercovers" or scammers looming around the channels. Hence increasing the trust of the platform which value on safe conversations and privacy.

Make It Loud or... Whispering

Marketing to the broad can be loud as through big billboards, spamming your inboxes or catchy commercials. Nowadays there's can be more targeted, by sliding into DMs, a more personalized way (explore more on this later). By then, such conversations can be comes in different expressions (which some most likely assume such way as scammers). The shift to private can presents both as challenge or it can be a massive opportunity too. Even extra layers of privacy, managing multiple conversations always a challenge without a better unified messaging platform.

What This Means for Businesses Using WhatsApp?

Business ver. of WhatsApp are widely been used by:

• WhatsApp Business App (for SMEs mostly)

• WhatsApp Business Platform/API (for larger brands and automation)

With current concern more into privacy, it almost like defeat the purpose of what been marketed on the campaign which highlighting on confidentiality. Imagine if anyone could simply slide into your WhatsApp inbox, intrusively and with a sudden notification pop up, highlighting all their services they providing. That's what happening right now and making you questioning this "Who gave my contacts away?" or "Why they market this to me?".

WhatNext for WhatsAPP?

WhatsApp is evolving from a simple messenger into a full commerce and communication ecosystem which could akin of WeChat:

• WhatsApp Pay : currently only available certain regions (Brazil, India)

• Shops : already integrated

• AI Chatbots : available in limited countries to select businesses

• Channels : Already long been there

All this features while still riding on WhatsApp concern on privacy first. Just without being bombarded by ads, all of this could work.

Checkout another article on Telegram here