About 810,000 users globally installed Signal on Sunday,
nearly 18-fold compared with the download numbers on Jan. 6, the day WhatsApp
updated its privacy terms, according to data from research firm Apptopia.
WhatsApp's new privacy terms reserve the right to share user
data, including location, and phone number, with its parent Facebook and units
such as Instagram and Messenger.
Privacy advocates have questioned the move citing Facebook's
track record in handling user data, with many suggesting users to migrate to
platforms such as Telegram and Signal.
To cope with the number of new users, Signal said on Sunday
it had added more servers to handle the traffic. Up until recently, the
non-profit app was largely used by journalists and human rights activists
looking for a more secure and encrypted mode of communication.
WhatsApp, which saw a 7 percent decline in daily installs on
Sunday compared with Wednesday, was downloaded by nearly 1.2 million users on
Jan. 10, according to Apptopia.
Signal Tops Charts on App Store, Google Play Thanks to
WhatsApp Controversy
© Reuters