This app is now the most popular app in the Netherlands, surpassing even WhatsApp
Nowadays, it is very difficult to imagine the emergence of a new messaging application that can outperform WhatsApp and take its place.
Though it is true that WhatsApp has a slight edge over other apps in the rest of the world, its dominance varies by country, and each country has its own preferred apps. But in a world where privacy is becoming more valuable, users are looking for new alternatives to enhance that privacy, and it seems that the Netherlands has found the ultimate alternative.
It may not be as popular as WhatsApp and Telegram, but Signal has still become the most downloaded app in the European country in the past month for both Android and iOS users. The app has seen a significant increase in popularity in recent years in response to political changes in its competitors like WhatsApp or geopolitical events.
This is because Signal has proven itself to be a more privacy-friendly option—for example, it’s run by a non-profit (albeit one based in the US) rather than a private company focused on monetizing data. Additionally, Signal logs minimal metadata about its users.
Although the Netherlands is just one market of 18 million people in a European population of more than 700 million, its high adoption rates may point to a broader trend across the continent, especially as governments try to break down barriers to privacy.
“Signal’s position on this is very clear: We will not roll back, manipulate, or otherwise disrupt the strong privacy and security safeguards that people rely on,” Meredith Whittaker told De Telegraaf, according to The Verge.
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