There are plenty of controversies and issues surrounding Meta, but that doesn’t stop their apps — including Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Threads — from having a commanding presence on the top charts of the iOS app store. All of the aforementioned apps sit within the top 50 free apps on iOS, but it may still be worthwhile to consider uninstalling any of these apps.
Earlier this year, a former data scientist from Meta alleged that the company is using Facebook to mess with your phone in what’s known as “negative testing.” Essentially, these allegations state that Meta can drain the battery on your iPhone. Moreover, if you care about how secure your messenger app is, then it’d be best to drop Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs, which do not offer end-to-end encryption.
What could be more concerning is Meta’s dubious track record of caring for the mental health of its users. Facebook rebranded to Meta in 2021, which came off the back of a whistleblower revealing the adverse effects Instagram has on the mental health of teenagers. What made this particularly egregious wasn’t just the negative mental health effects but that Meta knew and chose not to act on that information in any meaningful way.
Perhaps most famous in the pantheon of negatives in the Meta family is the Cambridge Analytica scandal, when users’ Facebook data was handed over to third parties like Cambridge Analytica. The whole issue recently resulted in a $725 million settlement that Facebook users can consider filling submitting their claim for part of the settlement. While considering that, it may also be time to consider ditching any given Meta app on your phone.