3 in 4 Indians reconsidering their WhatsApp usage: Report

Gurugram, Jan 29 : As the Indian government asks WhatsApp to withdraw, not defer, the new user data privacy policy, a new nationwide study revealed on Friday that 79 per cent of consumers among those surveyed are re-considering their WhatsApp usage.
While an overwhelming 79 per cent are reconsidering using WhatsApp, 28 per cent of those even plan to leave WhatsApp after implementation of its new policy in May 2021, according to new research by CyberMedia Research (CMR), a Gurugram-based market research firm.
As per the results, 41 per cent of those surveyed indicated planning to shift to Telegram, whereas 35 per cent preferred Signal.
“The current debate goes much beyond privacy-oriented consumers, with some even contemplating stopping their WhatsApp usage, and considering alternatives, such as Telegram or Signal,” said Satya Mohanty, Head- Industry Consulting Group (ICG), CMR.
“Consumer preference is being driven by word of mouth, as well as by the array of features the platform offers,” he added.
In the aftermath of its new “take it or leave it” policy announcement, WhatsApp is losing mindshare as well as potentially future user share.