This Instant Messaging App Says It Could Be the Next WhatsApp

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The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

It goes without saying that instant messaging (IM) has become part of people's daily lives. The coming of instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, and Slack has simplified the way people communicate and interact. Unlike traditional, old-fashioned short-message services (SMSs), IM apps allow messages to be sent and received in real-time, allowing responses to be organized in a format that supports 2-way communication.

The number of social media users has grown significantly even during the COVID-19 pandemic. WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook Inc. FB, has experienced an increase from 1.5 billion users in 2018 to 2 billion in 2021. According to a report by eMarketer, the total number of mobile messaging app users has increased from 2.56 billion in 2019 to 3.09 billion in 2021, and the number is expected to increase to 3.51 billion by 2025.

Despite the massive jump in IM users, the main concern has been user privacy. WhatsApp has been under attack since its recent update to its policy, allowing Facebook to collect user data, including phone numbers and locations. In response, Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk, now the world’s richest man, urged his Twitter TWTR fans to switch to more encrypted apps than WhatsApp and Facebook.

Ever since the Facebook controversy, IM users have been migrating to secure, highly encrypted, alternative platforms. One of the platforms that says it is focused on user privacy and security is DatChat Inc. DATS.

Innovation in Messaging?

According to the owners of DatChat, personal privacy, security, communication, and digital-rights management are their priorities. The IM app has the following unique features that make it different from the other apps in the space:

Anti-screenshot: When the anti-screenshot feature is enabled, it prevents the recipient on the other end from taking screenshots of a picture or the conversation. If someone tries to screenshot, the sender will be notified immediately and the post is automatically deleted from the recipient.

Nuke and self-destruct messages: Similar to WhatsApp’s “disappearing messages,” but slightly more advanced, this feature allows the sender to decide the number of times a post or message is viewed before it automatically deletes. A user can also choose to “nuke” messages, which deletes them from both the sender and the recipient’s device leaving no trace of the conversation.

Anonymity: Popular messaging apps like Telegram and WeChat require a phone number or email address for verification, but this is not the case with DatChat. The messaging app allows a user to stay anonymous by only putting their username — there is no need to enter an email address or phone number to get verified.

Photo hiding: Secret photos can be hidden in DatChat behind a cover image. The hidden image can be saved in the gallery and only the cover image will be seen.

The company also created a buzz on the internet when it announced it will soon implement blockchain technology into its system.

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.