Leave Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp with alternative apps that respect privacy

With Facebook's reputation in sharp crisis after the recent privacy scandals, uncontrolled espionage and so little careful management of user data, given that now the trust in those who manage Facebook has fallen to the minimum terms, it would not be so idea to abandon it completely .
Keep in mind that Facebook's very aggressive advertising activity collects (some would say it steals) user data through all the services it owns, therefore those who were not registered with Facebook, but had a Whatsapp or Instagram account, it would still be inside the system, monitored and subject to data collection.
In this article we see the alternatives to Facebook, i.e. sites and applications that can be used instead of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, designed to do the same things, but with a clearly stronger and more protective privacy policy . This is certainly more of an experimental article, since replacing Facebook and its applications has become extremely difficult. Facebook will continue to be a giant of social media for the foreseeable future, no other platform has its user base and it is almost impossible that it can fail. In addition, tools like Whatsapp are now used by everyone and giving it up would mean depriving yourself of the most used tool in the world for messages.
However, it becomes interesting to go and see what are the alternatives to Facebook as a social network, the alternatives to Whatsapp (and Facebook Messenger) as a messaging app and the alternatives to Instagram as an app to share photos, so that you can perhaps completely exit the Facebook ecosystem or just to try similar and more secure apps and sites in terms of privacy.
READ ALSO: 10 reasons to exit Facebook and main problems

Alternatives to Facebook

To replace Facebook, we are not talking about alternative social networks like Twitter or Vkontakte, but about applications that replicate Facebook's functions and which are not part of profit-making companies. Unfortunately, it will be necessary to take into account that very few of the Italians registered on these platforms will be found.

Mewe

Mewe is a social network that enhances user privacy by promising never to publish advertisements, not to track users or sell their data. The service, completely free, is maintained by offering small subscription plans in order to activate some special features, such as additional cloud storage space and a secret chat.
MeWe can be used via website, via app for Android or iPhone.

Diaspora

Diaspora is another alternative to Facebook that has the distinction of being a decentralized platform, that is, it is not managed by a single organization, but distributed on independent servers (which Diaspora calls "pods"). Indeed, having the right knowledge, you can even start your own server in Diaspora. Subscribers choose which pods they want to join and don't necessarily have to use their real name. Most pods focus on certain topics, such as photography, nature, technology or other interests. You can register an account on Diaspora for free from diasporafoundation.org

True

Vero is another social app that wants to compete with Facebook by correcting flaws plus it addresses some of the biggest annoyances when using Facebook: algorithm-influenced feeds, data collection and advertising. The posts are then displayed in chronological order. Vero also has a messaging feature and a variety of features that make it truly an interesting competitor for Facebook. In terms of monetization, the company plans to possibly introduce a subscription; at the moment, however, registration for a free lifetime subscription is guaranteed.
True you can download it as an app for Android and iPhone)

Mastodon

Mastodon is a social that follows Twitter, launched in 2017, free and open source (no company owns it and can earn on it) that can be used in the same way as Facebook.
READ ALSO: Alternative private social networks to Facebook

Alternatives to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger

While you can still give up on Facebook, it becomes really difficult to think that you can stop using Whatsapp, since it is used by all our friends and family. At the same time, however, while the Facebook alternatives are more experiments to try, the Whatsapp alternatives are decidedly mature applications, with so much popularity and many more functions. It would not be so dramatic, therefore, to switch to the use of one of these applications and also convince friends to do it.

Telegram

Telegram is an app for PC, Android and iPhone already very famous, with many subscribers also in Italy, one of the most popular alternatives to WhatsApp. This messaging app focuses on chat encryption, security and seamless connectivity. The company's promise to keep the app free forever, without advertising or subscription costs, is another strong point.
We have seen in another article all that Telegram has more than Whatsapp.

Signal

Signal is another application widely used in the world, open source, owned by a non-profit foundation, which gives priority to user privacy. The app has attracted supporters and users thanks to its encryption protocols, and to the function that allows you to create secret and untraceable chats with Signal .

Wire

Wire, for PC, Android and iPhone) is a messaging and collaboration platform created with the involvement of Skype co-founder Janus Friis. The platform is secure and end-to-end encrypted, with group chats and video calls, as a valid and solid alternative to WhatsApp. Wire offers a personal and free plan for private chat, then also paid professional plans for companies wishing to use it for collaboration between employees.
READ ALSO: Best apps for messaging: WhatsApp and alternatives

Alternatives to Instagram

Although not created by Facebook, Instagram, since its acquisition in 2012, has played an increasingly important role in Facebook's advertising platform and has become the social netowrk preferred by VIPs and those who want to follow VIPs. If you wanted to use a photo sharing platform without famous people and even without the Facebook brand, here are some Instagram alternatives to try.

VSCO

VSCO, for Android and iPhone, is a popular photo editing app that allows you to share your creations with the community of VSCO registered users. Instead of relying on advertising, developers monetize the app with an optional subscription plan. Anyone who wants to use it for free still has access to filters, editing and sharing tools. Just like on Instagram, you can follow other VSCO users and browse images based on the hashtag.

EyeEm

EyeEm, for Android and iPhone, is a photo sharing platform that is aimed primarily at professional photographers, where you can also sell photos and receive feedback from other photographers. Users retain the copyright on their images and in case of sale the price must be divided between user and platform.

500px

500px, for Android and iPhone, is another alternative to Instagram aimed at photographers who want to share their work or sell photographs. Here you can also follow other users and topics.

Ello

Ello was initially born as an alternative to Facebook, which later became an image site for artists who can then share images of their work with other people interested in seeing them.
READ ALSO: How to create a private profile on Instagram