Facebook data breach giving you panic attacks? Here are some desi options

Amid data breach talks and the recent instance of Cambridge Analytica scandal, where unauthorised access to user data apparently caused election meddling, there have been calls to delete Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook, connecting billions of people across the world, is unarguably the biggest social media platform globally. It is almost impossible to find a person who uses the internet but does not have a Facebook account, or never had one. To remain at the top of social networking sites, Facebook even acquired instant message sharing app Whatsapp and photo-sharing app Instagram. However, the recent Cambridge Analytica controversy seems to have shaken Facebook's digital empire. Cambridge Analytica is said to have accessed Facebook users' data without permission and, apparently, helped manipulate election results.

Today, while there have been calls to delete Facebook in the interest of digital privacy, many of the Facebook users are feeling unsecure for their private information.

The controversy

Cambridge Analytica came to the spotlight after Facebook Vice-President and Deputy General counsel Paul Grewal published a message mentioning that the SCL and Cambridge Analytica had been suspended for violation Facebook policy. The firm had not deleted the data it had received in 2015 from a developer.  

SCL had access of user data through a Facebook app called “thisisyourdigitallife" and the app was downloaded by  by 270,000 people. 

Cambridge Analytica is widely known for helping Donald Trump's campaign in the US Presidential Election 2016. 

After the scandal broke, there has been a growing scepticism around safety of personal data on social media. There was a frenzy among netizens to delete their social media account in order to protect their personal information. 

The safety of your personal information cannot be guaranteed, but if you are looking for some 'desi' alternatives to Facebook, here is a list:

Hike

Hike Messenger is a cross-platform instant messaging service that provides users with a platform for text messaging, sending each other graphical stickers, emoticons, images, videos, audios, documents, voice messages, contacts and users' location. The app can also be used to book Ola vehicles directly and has also enabled Hike ID, through which users can chat with each other without sharing their mobile numbers.

Roposo

Roposo is an app that offers filters and editing tools, and an option for social media sharing that allows users to instantly publish pictures on other social media channels. The camera in the app helps edit and stitch videos to perfection; reducing the editing time. And users get to edit the videos on their phone itself. With the introduction of augmented reality feature on the app, users can create better content and post it on the platform.

Sharechat

Backed by SAIF Partners and Xiaomi, Sharechat is a leading social networking platform in India which enables users to watch and share videos on other platforms as well. Available in 14 vernacular languages, Sharechat is meant for all the users who love to share videos and photos in their own regional language.

SyncYu

SyncYu is an Indian pro-social networking application which focuses on connecting with friends and family by providing a spam-free platform. It is advertisement-free and claims to show how its users truly are to the world. This app comes with a lot of features like messaging, games, shoutouts, wordsmash, news and much more.

Mooshak

An attempt to make Hindi and Devnagiri relevant for the Next Gen, this app enables users to post content in Hindi. For the users who are not quite good at writing in the language, the app helps to translate your content into Hindi. Simply upload images, videos and audios and share it with people around the globe.

For the unversed, Cambridge Analytica, the political data firm with ties to United States President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, is under fire for allegedly gaining access to private information of more than 50 million Facebook users, and influencing elections by using this stolen data.