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  3. Best privacy chat apps

Best privacy chat apps

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  • jdaviescoatesJ Offline
    jdaviescoatesJ Offline
    jdaviescoates
    wrote on last edited by
    #127

    For me Signal still provides the best balance of stability/ usability/ privacy (although to be honest I've not tried most of the apps listed in that spreadsheet as Signal is Good Enough for me and I've got various functioning groups on there that include not very technical people)

    I use Cloudron with Gandi & Hetzner

    marcusquinnM 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • jdaviescoatesJ jdaviescoates

      For me Signal still provides the best balance of stability/ usability/ privacy (although to be honest I've not tried most of the apps listed in that spreadsheet as Signal is Good Enough for me and I've got various functioning groups on there that include not very technical people)

      marcusquinnM Offline
      marcusquinnM Offline
      marcusquinn
      wrote on last edited by
      #128

      @jdaviescoates And they allow usernames now, for phone number privacy.

      Web Design https://www.evergreen.je
      Development https://brandlight.org
      Life https://marcusquinn.com

      jdaviescoatesJ 1 Reply Last reply
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      • marcusquinnM marcusquinn

        @jdaviescoates And they allow usernames now, for phone number privacy.

        jdaviescoatesJ Offline
        jdaviescoatesJ Offline
        jdaviescoates
        wrote on last edited by
        #129

        @marcusquinn indeed. I'm now @jdaviescoates.01 on there 🙂

        I use Cloudron with Gandi & Hetzner

        RazielKanosR 1 Reply Last reply
        2
        • jdaviescoatesJ jdaviescoates

          @marcusquinn indeed. I'm now @jdaviescoates.01 on there 🙂

          RazielKanosR Offline
          RazielKanosR Offline
          RazielKanos
          wrote on last edited by
          #130

          @jdaviescoates said in Best privacy chat apps:

          @marcusquinn indeed. I'm now @jdaviescoates.01 on there 🙂

          sending p0rn.....
          NOW!
          😄

          1 Reply Last reply
          1
          • R Offline
            R Offline
            Rick
            wrote on last edited by
            #131

            I'm mainly on Signal, but I occasionally use Facebook Messenger.

            1 Reply Last reply
            2
            • ? Offline
              ? Offline
              A Former User
              wrote on last edited by
              #132

              You might want to take a look at the Messenger Matrix, which was compiled by security expert Mike Kuketz:

              https://www.messenger-matrix.de/messenger-matrix-en.html

              M 1 Reply Last reply
              6
              • jdaviescoatesJ jdaviescoates

                @marcusquinn like what? What are they/ have they replaced. Nothing as far as I'm aware.

                A single Bitcoin transaction uses more energy than an average U.S. household uses in 2 months!

                I mean, perhaps you're referring to how much banks still invest in fossil fuels? But if you think web3 is going to replace banks any time soon you are wrong 🙂

                A 10-year old iPhone could process more transactions per second than the entirety of the Bitcoin network it's so insanely slow.

                scookeS Offline
                scookeS Offline
                scooke
                wrote on last edited by
                #133

                @jdaviescoates said in Best privacy chat apps:

                A single Bitcoin transaction uses more energy than an average U.S. household uses in 2 months!

                ....

                A 10-year old iPhone could process more transactions per second than the entirety of the Bitcoin network it's so insanely slow.

                These two statements don't seem to reconcile. If I combine them, then "A 10-year old iPhone uses more energy than several average US households do in 2 months to process more transactions than the entirety of the Bitcoin network". If this were true, that 10-year old iPhone would rack up HUGE electricity bills for whoever has it plugged in at home (at least 2 months x # of transactions).

                A life lived in fear is a life half-lived

                jdaviescoatesJ 1 Reply Last reply
                1
                • scookeS scooke

                  @jdaviescoates said in Best privacy chat apps:

                  A single Bitcoin transaction uses more energy than an average U.S. household uses in 2 months!

                  ....

                  A 10-year old iPhone could process more transactions per second than the entirety of the Bitcoin network it's so insanely slow.

                  These two statements don't seem to reconcile. If I combine them, then "A 10-year old iPhone uses more energy than several average US households do in 2 months to process more transactions than the entirety of the Bitcoin network". If this were true, that 10-year old iPhone would rack up HUGE electricity bills for whoever has it plugged in at home (at least 2 months x # of transactions).

                  jdaviescoatesJ Offline
                  jdaviescoatesJ Offline
                  jdaviescoates
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #134

                  @scooke why would you combine them? The "10-year old iPhone" (although I've literally no idea why I chose to write specifically that) wouldn't be processing blockchain transactions.

                  I use Cloudron with Gandi & Hetzner

                  scookeS 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • jdaviescoatesJ jdaviescoates

                    @scooke why would you combine them? The "10-year old iPhone" (although I've literally no idea why I chose to write specifically that) wouldn't be processing blockchain transactions.

                    scookeS Offline
                    scookeS Offline
                    scooke
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #135

                    @jdaviescoates I'm just using the terms that were in the post. "A single Bitcoin transaction...", "iPhone ... process more transactions". Both transactions are on the blockchain. Perhaps the first statement was trying to say something more like "ALL the computers connected to the blockchain when a transaction occurs use more energy than...". The first statement sounds like an exaggeration and frankly won't sway most away from using Bitcoin (well, any phrase always has the potential to sway some number of people any which way). It wouldn't be accurate to say that ALL computers connected to the blockchain are essential for any given transaction to process, but that is what is implied. It isn't true. It certainly is fine and good for people to make others aware that there are costs associated with Bitcoin, but I'd avoid fearmongering.

                    I thought I'd brush up my info before posting, and read https://river.com/learn/how-does-a-bitcoin-transaction-work/. So, yeah, I can't confirm how much energy a given mining NODE uses to mine a specific order, but it still looks to me like fearmongering when the costs are talked about, generally.

                    A life lived in fear is a life half-lived

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • ? A Former User

                      You might want to take a look at the Messenger Matrix, which was compiled by security expert Mike Kuketz:

                      https://www.messenger-matrix.de/messenger-matrix-en.html

                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      mononym
                      wrote last edited by
                      #136

                      I never had WA and tried to profess matrix/element to friends and colleagues. Unfortunately, it was not reaching the expected standards as a messenger. I think matrix/elememt is still a great option for self hosting and in-house communication.

                      I now tried out Threema and it's perfect: encryption, very reliable, minimal metadata and no data retention. And to distinguish it with Signal: no VC mentality, transparent buisness model and running on their own servers instead of the AWS etc. In other words, it is software as a 🇨🇭 craft (vs. network effect).

                      The best in my opinion 🙂

                      P.S.: I think there are parts of Threema which could be self hosted.

                      jdaviescoatesJ 1 Reply Last reply
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                      • M mononym

                        I never had WA and tried to profess matrix/element to friends and colleagues. Unfortunately, it was not reaching the expected standards as a messenger. I think matrix/elememt is still a great option for self hosting and in-house communication.

                        I now tried out Threema and it's perfect: encryption, very reliable, minimal metadata and no data retention. And to distinguish it with Signal: no VC mentality, transparent buisness model and running on their own servers instead of the AWS etc. In other words, it is software as a 🇨🇭 craft (vs. network effect).

                        The best in my opinion 🙂

                        P.S.: I think there are parts of Threema which could be self hosted.

                        jdaviescoatesJ Offline
                        jdaviescoatesJ Offline
                        jdaviescoates
                        wrote last edited by
                        #137

                        @mononym said in Best privacy chat apps:

                        And to distinguish it with Signal: no VC mentality, transparent buisness model and running on their own servers instead of the AWS etc.

                        VC mentality? Signal is a non-profit.

                        I also just read that Signal also has Perfect Forward Secrecy which in many ways makes it better than Threema, see e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/wnfg77/where_are_signal_servers_located_and_how_is_it/

                        I use Cloudron with Gandi & Hetzner

                        M 1 Reply Last reply
                        1
                        • jdaviescoatesJ jdaviescoates

                          @mononym said in Best privacy chat apps:

                          And to distinguish it with Signal: no VC mentality, transparent buisness model and running on their own servers instead of the AWS etc.

                          VC mentality? Signal is a non-profit.

                          I also just read that Signal also has Perfect Forward Secrecy which in many ways makes it better than Threema, see e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/wnfg77/where_are_signal_servers_located_and_how_is_it/

                          M Offline
                          M Offline
                          mononym
                          wrote last edited by
                          #138

                          @jdaviescoates said in Best privacy chat apps:

                          VC mentality? Signal is a non-profit.

                          No hard feelings. When something is backed by the wealth of a top 100 US fortune then saying that it's a non-profit is like playing the violin to me. I don't doubt that it is a non-profit but it just sounds like branding or and opportunistic decision. Maybe I'm just sceptical. VC and philanthropy go hand in hand but it's a societal model that I don't endorse.

                          One can of course focus on the tech and its promises. Then Signal clearly stands out compared to other products. But like the point about encryption, I disassociate "best" and "privacy" a little (topic title). I absolutely belive that
                          no useful Signal data can be retrieved from the AWS and Azure server, but nevertheless every user indirectly funnels money to these two unethical (at minima) corporations.

                          Once it's sufficiently private (a fundamental right), let's look at the broader picture as well. I see tech is a cultural product and the adjective "best" can be used in a holistic sense.

                          Just wanted to give a heads up for Threema in that regard.
                          Move slow and fix things ✌️

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