Back when ICQ was a thing, alternatives like Pidgin encouraged switching by connecting to the existing ICQ network. I understand that in the case of WhatsApp, c

Back when ICQ was a thing, alternatives like Pidgin encouraged switching by connecting to the existing ICQ network. I understand that in the case of WhatsApp, connecting to the existing network means that FB still gets hold of your data so there is no improvement in terms of privacy (at first), but it is still a step forward if convincing your friends to all switch at once is not an option (which is impossible -- your friends have friends that are not your friends, so the whole world would have to switch at once).