If you own a smartphone, there is a very high chance that you are a WhatsApp user. The simple and lightweight online messaging application has embedded itself into our lives and has become indispensable. Family groups, friend groups, office groups, play groups and many other groups like these see millions of conversations happening on a daily basis. Millions of people across the world use Whatsapp for multiple purposes. Beginning from a simple user to user online text messaging app, over the years Whatsapp has grown exponentially by adding a lot of features like payments, location sharing, pictures and video sharing, document sharing, group chats and calls.
Whatsapp users received a message upon opening the app on their phone which conveyed information regarding a privacy policy update. The notification carried information regarding how Whatsapp processes user data and how Whatsapp partners with Facebook to offer integration across Facebook company products. Failure to accept the policy meant a user could not use Whatsapp anymore after February 8th, 2021. This led to a huge outcry on social media about how Whatsapp is abusing user data and user privacy. Facebook and Whatsapp have always been in the spotlight time and again around discussions regarding user data privacy. But the latest policy update from Whatsapp looked like the last straw.
Millions across the world were looking for alternate platforms to migrate to from Whatsapp where they felt their data would be protected. Telegram and another recent app named Signal, suddenly saw an influx of new users following the recent Whatsapp privacy policy update.
Signal in particular saw a huge spurt in registrations following Tesla founder Elon Musk’s tweet which said Signal in response to a user asking Musk what is a good alternative to Whatsapp.
On January 12th, 2021, nearly 800,000 users installed Signal globally. Signal could not handle the influx and their SMS verification failed to function properly. Signal has since then added more servers to cope with the surge in app downloads. Signal said the only information it collects is the phone number and they do not assign a name to the number. Whatsapp on the other hand collects a slew of data as shown in the picture below.
Whatsapp released a statement which said it is committed to protecting user data privacy and that their end to end encryption still works. Their response says “Our privacy policy update does not affect the privacy of your messages with friends or family (sic.)”
We want to address some rumors and be 100% clear we continue to protect your private messages with end-to-end encryption. pic.twitter.com/6qDnzQ98MP
Whatsapp data is instead used to improve Facebook user experience. Facebook is benefiting from Whatsapp by generating a huge wealth of consumer behavior data which inturn is being used to improve the ads on Facebook.
In this day and age when the internet is making its way to every nook and corner of the world, companies are increasingly developing an internet ecosystem in order to make lives easier. These ecosystems learn from gathering continuous data. While it is hard to pinpoint how much data should be collected and kept private and how much could be used to improve quality of lives, the choice ultimately lies with the individual.
Let us know if you are going to continue using Whatsapp or will move to SIgnal in the comments below.
Info Edge (India) Ltd shareholders have overwhelmingly approved an investment of up to ₹1,000 crore in the company’s third venture capital fund, Info Edge Ventures Fund III. The proposal received near-unanimous backing, with 99.9995% of valid votes in favor out of 1,274 participants.
Smartweb Internet Services Ltd, a wholly owned Info Edge subsidiary, will act as sponsor and investment manager for the new fund. This move strengthens Info Edge’s commitment to backing early-stage startups and expanding its footprint in India’s venture capital landscape.
Info Edge has a strong track record as an early investor in leading Indian startups like Zomato and PB Fintech, with combined holdings in these firms valued at ₹31,500 crore ($3.7 billion) as of March 31, 2025.
PayU India, owned by Prosus, has received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as an online payment aggregator, a year after getting in-principle approval in April 2024. This authorization allows PayU to onboard new merchants and offer digital payment solutions, joining other major players like Razorpay, CCAvenue, and BillDesk.
The RBI’s nod comes as PayU prepares for its planned IPO in the second half of 2025, following a delay from its original 2024 timeline due to market conditions. The company, which serves over 450,000 merchants, reported $319 million in revenue from its core payments and credit business in the first half of FY25.
PayU stated that the approval will help it build a resilient, compliant, and innovation-driven institution, supporting merchants of all sizes and advancing the Digital India vision. The company has also strengthened its risk management and expanded its presence in real-time payments through a strategic stake in Mindgate Solutions.
Google has refreshed its iconic ‘G’ logo for the first time in nearly 10 years, replacing the familiar solid blocks of red, yellow, green, and blue with a smooth, vibrant gradient that blends these colors seamlessly. This subtle update gives the logo a softer, more fluid, and modern appearance, aligning with Google’s evolving digital identity and current design trends.
The new gradient transitions smoothly from red to yellow, yellow to green, and green to blue, making the logo more visually appealing and adaptable across various devices, especially on mobile platforms. This redesign also reflects Google’s growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, echoing the gradient style used in the branding of Google Gemini, the company’s AI-generative assistant.
The updated ‘G’ logo has started rolling out on iOS through the Google Search app and on some Android devices, particularly Pixel phones running the Google app beta version 16.18. However, most other platforms, including the web and non-Pixel Android devices, still display the classic solid-color logo. A wider rollout is expected in the coming weeks.
So far, Google’s main wordmark and other product logos like Chrome, Maps, and Gmail remain unchanged. Given the shift toward gradient designs and AI-inspired visuals, similar updates to other Google icons may follow in the future.
In summary, this first major update to the ‘G’ logo since 2015 signals a subtle but meaningful shift in Google’s branding strategy, blending tradition with innovation as the company deepens its focus on AI and modern design aesthetics.