Where the data went.

Editorial signals

5/5Collection beyond core5/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Account, device, activity and off-Meta business-partner information

Published practice

Meta says it uses information across its products and from businesses that use Meta tools to personalise ads and measure advertising. The exact controls and data available differ by product; message content is governed by WhatsApp's separate security and privacy terms.

Reader controls

Review Accounts Centre privacy and ad preferences, connected businesses and activity controls; read the product-specific WhatsApp policy before relying on a setting.

Why these signals

The published terms describe cross-product use, off-Meta business-partner information and advertising measurement—purposes beyond simply delivering a message or social feed.

Switching cost

4/5Instagram information can be exported and WhatsApp supports supported-phone chat transfers, but social relationships, account identity and a usable equivalent of the service do not move with the file.

Meta

Instagram

Editorial signals

4/5Collection beyond core4/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Account, activity, device, app, service-use and email information

Published practice

Google says its policy covers Gmail, Chrome, Android, YouTube, Drive and services integrated into other apps and sites. It describes account activity and personalisation controls, including controls for YouTube History and Web & App Activity; it also says it does not show personalised ads based on content from Gmail, Drive or Photos.

Reader controls

Use Google Privacy Checkup, Activity Controls and My Ad Center; export or delete account content where the individual product provides those tools.

Why these signals

The policy covers a broad account ecosystem, personalisation and advertising services, including activity on third-party sites and apps. It also sets an important content limit for Gmail, Drive and Photos advertising.

Switching cost

3/5Google Takeout can create archives for email, documents, YouTube uploads and account data; Chrome can export browser data. Moving collaborative work, app purchases and recommendation history remains a separate task.

Google

Google

Editorial signals

4/5Collection beyond core4/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Account, device, usage, content metadata and approximate-location information

Published practice

TikTok's US policy says it collects device and user identifiers, can identify activity across devices, and processes user-content metadata. It also describes use of data for content and ad recommendations.

Reader controls

Review in-app privacy, advertising and recommendation settings; check the policy that applies to your country because terms and legal rights vary by region.

Why these signals

The terms describe cross-device identification, content analysis and recommendation or advertising uses in addition to operating the video platform.

Switching cost

4/5TikTok lets users request a data copy, but some data may be unavailable and the export does not recreate the feed, audience or social graph somewhere else.

TikTok

TikTok

Editorial signals

3/5Collection beyond core3/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Email, files, account, device, usage and subscription information

Published practice

Microsoft says it processes files uploaded to OneDrive to operate the service, and that it discloses personal data to Microsoft-controlled affiliates, subsidiaries and vendors working on its behalf. Its statement says it does not use email, personal files, photos or documents to target ads.

Reader controls

Use OneDrive and Outlook.com to access, download or delete account content where available; use the Microsoft privacy dashboard for account-level controls and review sharing links separately.

Why these signals

The statement includes product-improvement, recommendation and advertising uses, plus affiliates and vendors. It says email and personal files are not used to target ads.

Switching cost

3/5OneDrive files can be downloaded locally and an Outlook.com mailbox can be exported, but Microsoft says mailbox export requires desktop Outlook and shared links or cloud-only files need checking.

Microsoft

Microsoft

Editorial signals

5/5Collection beyond core4/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Email content, account, device, activity, advertising and location-related information

Published practice

Yahoo says its Communications Services may analyse and store email content. Its general policy says analysis of retailer and organisation emails can be used to create advertising-interest profiles, subject to opt-out controls and, in some places, consent; it distinguishes those messages from personal emails between individuals.

Reader controls

Use Yahoo Privacy Controls to manage targeted advertising, marketing preferences and account information; read the service-specific communications policy for the mail terms that apply.

Why these signals

Yahoo describes email-content analysis for some advertising-interest profiles, cross-device association and targeted-advertising purposes, subject to its stated controls.

Switching cost

3/5Yahoo documents backing up mail through a third-party app. That preserves messages, but folders, addresses, rules and account-linked services need their own migration plan.

Yahoo

Yahoo

Editorial signals

3/5Collection beyond core2/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Account, usage, device and stored-content-related information

Published practice

Dropbox says it uses trusted third parties to provide, improve, protect and promote its services. Its policy FAQ says it may analyse account activity for product features and, in some cases, to identify people who may be interested in premium services; it also says it does not sell personal data.

Reader controls

Review account privacy and notification settings, connected apps and shared links; use the account privacy tools for access or deletion requests.

Why these signals

The published FAQ describes product, security and premium-service marketing uses, and named trusted third parties acting on Dropbox's behalf; it says Dropbox does not sell personal data.

Switching cost

2/5Dropbox supports downloading files and folders as local copies. Large folders have browser and file-count limits, so test a full export before closing an account.

Dropbox

Dropbox

Editorial signals

4/5Collection beyond core4/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Account, licence, support, preference, usage and device information

Published practice

Adobe says it collects data to deliver and improve services, tailor experiences and communicate offers. Its policy describes sharing with authorised partners and offers choices for targeted-advertising and cross-contextual advertising controls where applicable.

Reader controls

Use Adobe's Privacy Choices page and product settings to manage preferences, advertising choices and requests to access, correct, delete or export data.

Why these signals

The policy describes tailoring, marketing communications, authorised partners and opt-outs for targeted or cross-contextual advertising where applicable.

Switching cost

3/5Local Creative Cloud files remain accessible after cancellation or downgrade, but cloud-storage limits, collaboration links and product-specific formats still need a planned export.

Adobe

Adobe

Editorial signals

1/5Collection beyond core1/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Phone number, account details and limited service metadata; messages and media remain end-to-end encrypted

Published practice

Signal says messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted and that message and media content is stored locally on the device rather than being available to the Signal service.

Reader controls

Review account-data settings and local backup or transfer choices before changing devices; treat device access and backups as part of the security model.

Why these signals

Signal's published support material describes a deliberately limited service model: message and media content are end-to-end encrypted and not available to the service for advertising or profiling.

Switching cost

4/5Account data can be exported, but Signal says the report does not include messages or media. Leaving a messenger still means rebuilding conversations and group participation elsewhere.

Signal

Signal

Editorial signals

1/5Collection beyond core1/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

A pseudonymous account ID and limited connection information; no phone number or email is required

Published practice

Session's app policy says it does not collect or share information, does not require a phone number or email, and does not store identifying device information such as IP address. Its documentation describes end-to-end encryption and onion-routed paths intended to reduce metadata exposure.

Reader controls

Keep control of your account ID and keys, review device access and do not confuse an anonymous account with a verified real-world identity of a contact.

Why these signals

Session's stated model is intentionally unlike ad-funded messengers: pseudonymous IDs, no required phone or email and no collected or shared app data according to its policy.

Switching cost

5/5The privacy model reduces account linkage, but it is not interoperable with other messengers. Session's donation page said core Foundation operations could cease in July 2026 without funding, so verify current service continuity before relying on it for irreplaceable communication.

Session

Session

Editorial signals

3/5Collection beyond core2/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Phone number, account, cloud-chat content, device and anti-abuse metadata; Secret Chats are separate and device-specific

Published practice

Telegram says ordinary cloud chats are stored on its servers so they can sync across devices. It distinguishes them from Secret Chats, which use end-to-end encryption and are not stored in the Telegram cloud. Its policy says it may collect IP, device and app metadata for security and anti-spam purposes.

Reader controls

Use Secret Chats only when that device-specific model fits the conversation; review phone-number visibility, location, cloud-chat and account self-destruction settings separately.

Why these signals

Cloud storage is central to Telegram's multi-device product, and the policy describes anti-abuse metadata. Telegram says it does not use data to show ads, while Secret Chats have a different, end-to-end encrypted storage model.

Switching cost

4/5Telegram Desktop can export cloud chats in HTML or JSON, but social relationships and channels do not transfer to another messenger. Secret Chats are device-specific and are not part of the cloud export path.

Telegram

Telegram

Editorial signals

5/5Collection beyond core5/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Account, device, activity, connection and Meta ecosystem information

Published practice

Messenger is covered by Meta's broader policy, which describes product, device, network, partner and off-product activity information, as well as use across Meta products and advertising systems.

Reader controls

Review Accounts Centre privacy, advertising, connected-business and activity settings; export information before deleting or changing an account.

Why these signals

The published Meta terms describe cross-product use, business-partner information and advertising measurement beyond delivering a private conversation.

Switching cost

4/5Meta supports exporting available account information, but a new messaging service cannot inherit the same conversation history, contacts or group relationships.

Meta

Meta

Editorial signals

5/5Collection beyond core5/5Sharing exposure

Data in scope

Account, posts, direct messages, engagement, device, inferred interests, location and advertising information

Published practice

X says it collects activity, direct-message and device information, receives information from ad partners, developers and publishers, and uses information to personalise content and ads. It describes public posts as broadly viewable and searchable.

Reader controls

Review privacy, personalisation, advertising and audience settings; download an archive before deactivating an account and remember that public copies can persist elsewhere.

Why these signals

X's policy describes advertising, inferred interests, off-platform interactions, public availability and affiliate or partner disclosures in addition to running a social service.

Switching cost

5/5X offers an HTML and JSON archive, but posts, followers, public visibility, direct-message relationships and audience context do not transfer to a different network.

X

X