Keeping your chats secure is a good idea, but end-to-end encryption is just the beginning of the list of options to consider when picking a messaging app.
Here are two reasons you might not want to use Signal: Your contacts, your settings, your entire Signal experience is tied to a Signal account managed by Signal. Metadata—who you’re talking to, when, and how often—can still be collected and analyzed. Question everything.
“The only metadata that Signal would have access to, is the phone number used to register, the date of initial registration, and the date of last use.”
The issue of centralization can be a problem, but in regards to metadata, sealed sender does a lot to prevent Signal’s servers from knowing who messages who, which makes Signal a lot more private than described here.
Alternatives to Signal that prioritize decentralized communication.
Briar Project (https://briarproject.org/ ): A compelling choice for censorship resistance. Briar employs peer-to-peer messaging, connecting via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Tor, and incorporates privacy features by design. It’s a robust solution for those concerned about surveillance.
Delta Chat (https://delta.chat/ ): A decentralized and secure messenger application. It’s often praised for its ease of use and integration with existing email accounts.
XMPP (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XMPP ): Less of an application and more of a foundational protocol. XMPP is an open standard for instant messaging, allowing for decentralized implementations – though setting up and maintaining such a system requires a degree of technical expertise.
Here are two reasons you might not want to use Signal: Your contacts, your settings, your entire Signal experience is tied to a Signal account managed by Signal. Metadata—who you’re talking to, when, and how often—can still be collected and analyzed. Question everything.
“The only metadata that Signal would have access to, is the phone number used to register, the date of initial registration, and the date of last use.”
https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/exd92f/what_kind_of_usermessage_metadata_is_observed_and/
The issue of centralization can be a problem, but in regards to metadata, sealed sender does a lot to prevent Signal’s servers from knowing who messages who, which makes Signal a lot more private than described here.
So use no messenger? Any decentralized options?
SimpleX is decentralized, requires no phone number, based on Signal code. Screws up invitations via FB/Messenger though.
Salute fellow simplex enjoyer 🗿
Thank you
Alternatives to Signal that prioritize decentralized communication.