ICT regulators around the world are very harsh on messaging services that do not have a robust record-keeping service related to the use of encrypted messaging platforms.
The problem has also come to the fore in recent times, including the fines imposed on apps that have failed to do so. Services like WhatsApp are among the most used chat applications in the world.
Signal is also being used by security-conscious people, but the other day it emerged that there was a phishing campaign targeting the communications giant Twilio, which then compromised the data of nearly 2,000 Signal users.
However, how have these applications been used or downloaded in recent days? Well, here is an evaluation that has been rounded up:
Summary of 30 days of WhatsApp and Signal
WhatsApp
Delivery courier by goal
30 day Android downloads: 62,673,289
30 day iOS downloads: 21,941,241
Signal by the Signal Foundation
30 day Android downloads: 4,034,148
30 day iOS downloads: 1,535,242
WhatsApp Download Trends in 2022
Above you will find daily global downloads for the Android (green) and iOS (red) versions of WhatsApp. These downloads are from the period between January 1 and August 17, 2022.
In total, WhatsApp has been downloaded 566,486,589 times worldwide since the beginning of 2022.
Android: 489,106,219 downloads
iOS: 77,380,370 downloads
Signal download trends in 2022
As in the previous chart, here you will find daily global downloads for the Android (blue) and iOS (orange) versions of Signal. These downloads are from the period between January 1 and August 17, 2022.
In total, Signal has been downloaded 34,325,185 times worldwide since the beginning of 2022.
Android: 19,882,290 downloads
iOS: 14,442,895 downloads
Generally speaking, the response has been muted, to say the least. This means that users don’t seem to care at all. Both WhatsApp and Signal continue to perform well and current download trends are in line with historical performance.
While Signal may lose a modicum of user trust, the blame ultimately lies with Twilio and the breach may have simply been too small to register on most people’s radars.
The much bigger story is related to regulatory action in the US. So far the only major player affected is JPMorgan, but it seems Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and HSBC are not far behind.
Lastly, while WhatsApp is the name everyone is currently talking about, there is no reason to believe that Signal, WeChat and Telegram will get a pass from regulators. In fact, there can be a reckoning for encrypted messaging apps, especially when it comes to their use in business settings.
