WhatsApp is now joining Google in its attack on iMessage

Green bubbles, but with ticks!

Over the past year, Google has pressed by Apple that adopt the RCS standard and help break down artificial walls between messaging platforms. Apple remains steadfast in its opposition, with CEO Tim Cook recently saying that “i like to convert you on the user’s iPhone. Now, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is using an ad for WhatsApp features to explore Apple’s stubbornness.

At Monday, Zuckerberg shared it on Instagram this new WhatsApp billboard, displayed at Penn Station in NYC. The ad pokes fun at the ongoing debate about green bubbles and blue bubbles, suggesting that people switch to WhatsApp’s “private bubble” instead. While this ad only uses the controversy as context, Zuckerberg’s caption for the Instagram post goes straight for Apple’s neck (via The Verge).

The Met CEO says WhatsApp is more private than iMessage, thanks to platform-dependent end-to-end encryption, even in group chats. It also highlights how WhatsApp backups are end-to-end encrypted also, unlike iMessage. WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart went into more detail in a series of tweets, explaining that people still send messages because of the way iMessage works, even though there are more secure options like WhatsApp. He also points out other privacy features that iMessage can’t match, like disposable media and messages that disappear.

WhatsApp has 2 billion users worldwide, but it is not the most popular service in the US. A spokesperson for the company told The Verge that this new ad campaign will also appear on TV, digital video, outdoor and social media across the US.