It is no secret that WhatsAppis a subsidiary of Facebook Inc based in the United States. The messaging platform was acquired by Facebook in 2014.
Even though he comes from Uncle Sam’s country, but WhatsAppnot popular in his hometown, even now. According to reports from We Are Social and Hootsuite in 2020, WhatsApp used only 19 percent of US internet users.
The percentage is far compared to Indonesia, where from the same report, WhatsAppused by 84 percent of Indonesia’s internet users. Why is that?
There are several reasons why users WhatsApp less than other internet-based messaging apps, or even SMS.
Privacy
According to a 2018 Science & Engineering Indicators survey, Americans place great importance on privacy. WhatsApp has a share location feature that makes some Americans uncomfortable.
Other than that, WhatsApp also has a status feature to see if people are online or not. There is also a feature to check last seen and typing status. Even though it is manageable, some people may feel uncomfortable.
Unlimited calls and SMS
Some cellular operators in America charge a flat rate and free calls for a few minutes. On the other hand,WhatsApp offers “free” phone and video call features when connected to WiFi.
But if not, then the user will be charged the data rate. Even though the price of data packages in America is not cheap. It is for this reason that many American citizens dislike itWhatsApp. In contrast to several countries, the cost of regular calls and SMS is more expensive than data packages.
No need
Most smartphones in the US already have a built-in messaging application, either the iOS or Android platforms. For example, iOS users already have the iMessege application.
So, they don’t feel the need to download new applications. Moreover, residents of Uncle Sam’s country are also very careful with new applications.
More interested in other applications
However, some Americans aren’t worried about the new app either. However, they prefer other messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or Skype. Facebook Messenger is already connected to the main Facebook account, so they don’t need to create a new account.