The encrypting messenger signal wants to distribute an update in the coming days that offers the possibility to set different backgrounds in the chat and to use animated stickers. In addition, users should be able to enter information about themselves in a new About field in their profile. In addition, new functions for iOS users will be introduced: These will make settings for automatic downloads and use full-screen profile photos as in the Android version.

Signal is currently getting numerous new users: Many are switching from WhatsApp because the service has given its consent enforces its new privacy policy, which states that data will be passed on to other Facebook services. The possibility of passing on applies with the restriction that these may not be used for advertising, but for analysis purposes.

The Hamburg data protection officer Johannes Caspar emphasized that for the user it is “extremely indeterminate and non-transparent” what the cooperation and data exchange in the group looks like, since in addition to the restriction, marketing purposes are still mentioned in the data protection declaration. “Facebook’s goal of using user data across companies can neither be justified by a corporate privilege that is not covered by the GDPR, nor by user consent.”

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Signal: Download quickly and safely from heise.de (tdi)