HONG KONG: WhatsApp users around the world who are concerned about the change in the company’s data privacy policy are turning to rival messaging apps like Signal and Telegram.
In Hong Kong, some opt for an alternative that reminds them of their childhood, before algorithms, Big Tech and viral misinformation.
ICQ was a pioneering mid-1990s Internet messaging service used on bulky PCs with dial-up access. It was a forerunner of the AOL instant messenger and was in vogue for the last time when the TV show “Friends” was in full swing and PalmPilots were at the forefront.
Over the years it has been modernized and is now an application for smartphones. Recently, Hong Kong app graphics have skyrocketed, and downloads have multiplied by 35 in the week ending January 12th.
“I remember my childhood memories,” said Anthony Wong, a 30-year-old risk consultant who used ICQ when he was in elementary school. Since then, he has connected with more than two dozen friends on the platform after being deleted this month in an update to WhatsApp’s privacy policy that would allow some data to be stored on Facebook Inc.’s main servers.