WhatsApp
Summary
WhatsApp is a proprietary, cross-platform, free instant messaging and calling subscription service for smartphones.
Parent organisation: Facebook
Type of organisation: Privately-owned company (or group)
Market share: Market dominance
Pricing: Free
Skills needed to set-up: Plug & play (any non-technical user can do it)
Skills needed to use: Plug & play (any non-technical user can do it)
Requires audience sign-in to use: Yes, sign-in compulsory
Parent organisation: Facebook
Type of organisation: Privately-owned company (or group)
Market share: Market dominance
Pricing: Free
Skills needed to set-up: Plug & play (any non-technical user can do it)
Skills needed to use: Plug & play (any non-technical user can do it)
Requires audience sign-in to use: Yes, sign-in compulsory
Pros
Open Source alternatives available
Releases new features regularly
Transparent pricing model
Plain English TOS
Allows data export
Allows data deletion
Cons
Newsworthy technical issues - UN bars officials from using WhatsApp over security concerns, company responds
Newsworthy security breaches - Jeff Bezos’ WhatsApp account reported to have been breached by the Saudi government. In 2018, both Brazil and India saw an uptick in WhatsApp incited abuse in lynchings and elections.
Lacks accessibility statement
Does not share diversity data
Full Product Data Collection
Data collected January-February 2020
| Product name | |
| Product URL | https://www.whatsapp.com/ |
| Parent organisation | |
| Workflow category | Collaboration & editing |
| Date product founded | 2009 |
| Product description | WhatsApp is a proprietary, cross-platform, free instant messaging and calling subscription service for smartphones. |
| What type of company or organisation is the product owned by? | Privately-owned company (or group) |
| Is the company profit-making? | Cannot determine |
| How is this product funded? | Investment by parent co. or group |
| What market share does the tool have? | Market dominance |
| Is there an Open Source alternative in this product space? | Yes. Signal, Wire, Tox, Riot.im, Matrix.org |
| When did the company last release new features? | Nov-2019. “Catalogs” for small businesses to showcase their goods. |
| Have they shared details of the product roadmap? | N/A |
| Is there talk of the product raising further investment? | No |
| Is there talk of the product being acquired? | No |
| Have there been any newsworthy business issues or challenges in the last 12 months? | No |
| Is there a pricing model listed on the website? | Product is clearly listed as free |
| How clear & transparent is this pricing model? | N/A no pricing model listed |
| What is the range of prices offered? | N/A |
| What factors drive higher pricing? | N/A |
| What skills are needed to get this tool set up & usable? | Plug & play (any non-technical user can do it) |
| What skills are needed to USE this tool day-to-day? | Plug & play (any non-technical user can do it) |
| Does this tool use proprietary file formats for saving documents & outputs? | Has proprietary file formats but offers open options |
| Is the product reliant on 3rd-party APIs or interoperability to function? | No |
| Have there been any newsworthy technical issues in the last 3 years? | Yes. UN bars officials from using WhatsApp over security concerns, company responds. |
| How clear is the Terms of Service for users (i.e. publishing customers)? | Simplified, plain English TOS |
| Does the product have a data collection & usage policy on its website? (Can be a GDPR statement)? | Yes, topline. |
| Is their data policy “GDPR everywhere”? | Yes, GDPR compliant globally |
| Does the product require your audience to sign-in to use it? | Yes, sign-in compulsory |
| IF SIGN IN REQUIRED: Does audience sign-in use 3rd party platforms? | No 3rd party auth, just a user account |
| Does the public product website mention how to export or transfer your data to another service? | Yes: Export/transfer publisher content |
| Does the public product website mention how to delete your data? | Yes: for publisher data only |
| Have there been any newsworthy security breaches with this product in the last 3 years? | Yes. Jeff Bezos’ WhatsApp account reported to have been breached by the Saudi government. In 2018, both Brazil and India saw an uptick in WhatsApp incited abuse in lynchings and elections. |
| Does the company have an accessibility statement on its website? | No / cannot find |
| Does the company release information on the diversity of the workforce? | No |