> Pretty sure I have never payed WhatsApp a single cent in the last 10 years so I don't see how I've been conned.

You gave up your privacy, which is worth a lot more than a few cents.

I did too, unfortunately. There's no way most people can be convinced to use anything else than the tool that connects them with the highest number of users, so when I had to install something on a old tablet to plan rehearsals with my old band I had no other choice than Whatsapp.