The data breach that happened to Facebook servers last week, where millions of Facebook users’ data was exposed, has revealed that the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses Signal encrypted messaging app.
Signal, which is one of the main competitors of the Facebook-owned WhatsApp, has been gaining users at the detriment of WhatsApp, since the controversial privacy policy update move was made by WhatsApp.
Cybersecurity researcher, Dave Walker, discovered that Zuckerberg was among more than 535 million Facebook users whose data was leaked in the data breach, Mashable reported.
“In another turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg also respects his own privacy, by using a chat app that has end-to-end encryption and isn’t owned by @facebook,” Dave Walker tweeted, alongside a photo of Zuckerberg’s redacted phone number, which he linked to a Signal account.
Signal, one of WhatsApp’s main competitors, is an encrypted messaging app, meaning that the company cannot access any messages or calls made by users on the app.
After the news of Zuckerberg’s supposed use of Signal broke to the public, the company retweeted a link to the story with the headline:
“With the May 15th WhatsApp Terms of Service acceptance deadline fast approaching, Mark leads by example.”
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Earlier this year, WhatsApp introduced the new privacy clause. This caused an outcry from users worldwide. The outcry led WhatsApp to hold the plans to update its privacy policy.
In a blog post explaining the privacy policy, the Facebook said the update will not affect personal messages and that the changes are related to “optional business features.”
Meanwhile, data belonging to over 535 million Facebook users have been found online.
Although, the information appears to be several years old, but it is another example of the many information collected by Facebook and other social media sites, and indicts Facebook of its capacity to secure user data.
According to the news that was first reported by Business Insider, the leaked data contains user information from 106 countries, and includes phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, birthdates, and email addresses.
Facebook claims that the breach that led to the data leak has been found and fixed since 2019.