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  3. Best privacy chat apps

Best privacy chat apps

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    • marcusquinnM marcusquinn

      Everyone here has A LOT to hide. If you're a Sys Admin, all those keys to kingdoms you have could yield great value or damage in the wrong hands.

      Doesn't matter how secure we are if social-engineering can get to our stuff through our peers.

      Aside from that, hopefully my blog post above explains a lot of other things to think about for how all our peers devices can gather data on us no matter how secure we are personally, so it will only be a whole society movement that plugs those holes, and I'm sure many here are happy to help friends and family do that if it is the seeds for a greater migration.

      d19dotcaD Offline
      d19dotcaD Offline
      d19dotca
      wrote on last edited by
      #21

      @marcusquinn Agreed. Everyone who says they have nothing to hide doesn't quite realize the potential that can come from companies having even just basic details on you.

      --
      Dustin Dauncey
      www.d19.ca

      marcusquinnM humptydumptyH 2 Replies Last reply
      1
      • d19dotcaD d19dotca

        @marcusquinn Agreed. Everyone who says they have nothing to hide doesn't quite realize the potential that can come from companies having even just basic details on you.

        marcusquinnM Offline
        marcusquinnM Offline
        marcusquinn
        wrote on last edited by
        #22

        @d19dotca The most obvious one now is censorship, since your view of the curated online world is tailored to show you what you are most likely to engage with, and we're all seeing a different view. Add to that the profiling on how influential you are, so targeting the most influential people then turns them into propaganda gophers. We're all in database tables somewhere now as a statistically significant type of some kind or another.

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

        ruihildtR 1 Reply Last reply
        1
        • marcusquinnM marcusquinn

          @d19dotca The most obvious one now is censorship, since your view of the curated online world is tailored to show you what you are most likely to engage with, and we're all seeing a different view. Add to that the profiling on how influential you are, so targeting the most influential people then turns them into propaganda gophers. We're all in database tables somewhere now as a statistically significant type of some kind or another.

          ruihildtR Offline
          ruihildtR Offline
          ruihildt
          wrote on last edited by
          #23

          The most perverse is that if you know you're watched, then you change your behaviour instead of behaving like yourself.

          1 Reply Last reply
          2
          • d19dotcaD d19dotca

            @humptydumpty Not sure if that was really meant to be directed at me or not 😛 haha because yeah, I agree with your points on the "I don't have anything to hide" part, that's been something I've argued for years with people and fully support that it should never be about if someone has something to hide or not.

            What do you prefer to use over Signal though in that case if it doesn't quite past muster for you? Always open to alternatives.

            humptydumptyH Offline
            humptydumptyH Offline
            humptydumpty
            wrote on last edited by
            #24

            @d19dotca lol no, it wasn't directed at you but that argument is what I'm used to hear when I try to educate my family and friends about data privacy. My first choice would be Matrix and Signal would be my second. But, I don't use my phone except for calling, 2FA TOTP, and email (Mail iOS app) so I never really bothered to look into it that much. I practically live on my PC so securing Windows (MS is probably the worst offender of them all) is my main concern. I'm forced to use Windows because of the CAD/CAM software that I have. I had no luck running them with Wine but I do have Pop!_OS on different drive and a stack of raspberry pi 4's for NAS (OMV5), PiVPN, PiHole, and one dedicated for fooling around with 🙂

            ? 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • d19dotcaD d19dotca

              @marcusquinn Agreed. Everyone who says they have nothing to hide doesn't quite realize the potential that can come from companies having even just basic details on you.

              humptydumptyH Offline
              humptydumptyH Offline
              humptydumpty
              wrote on last edited by
              #25

              @d19dotca Yes! I scared the living **** out of my family when I asked them to search their full name to see what they come up with. Every few months, I do this and go through the removal process on all these sites for my whole family. It's a PITA since they try to hide the opt-out form but you learn their tricks and the process becomes easier. I wouldn't be surprised if these sites were all operated by the same scummy group because their websites have a lot of similarities with each other.

              1 Reply Last reply
              1
              • humptydumptyH humptydumpty

                @d19dotca lol no, it wasn't directed at you but that argument is what I'm used to hear when I try to educate my family and friends about data privacy. My first choice would be Matrix and Signal would be my second. But, I don't use my phone except for calling, 2FA TOTP, and email (Mail iOS app) so I never really bothered to look into it that much. I practically live on my PC so securing Windows (MS is probably the worst offender of them all) is my main concern. I'm forced to use Windows because of the CAD/CAM software that I have. I had no luck running them with Wine but I do have Pop!_OS on different drive and a stack of raspberry pi 4's for NAS (OMV5), PiVPN, PiHole, and one dedicated for fooling around with 🙂

                ? Offline
                ? Offline
                A Former User
                wrote on last edited by
                #26

                @humptydumpty said in Best privacy chat apps:

                I'm forced to use Windows because of the CAD/CAM software that I have

                Hope this helps!
                https://alternativeto.net/tag/cad/?license=opensource&platform=linux

                humptydumptyH 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • ianhyzyI Offline
                  ianhyzyI Offline
                  ianhyzy
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #27

                  I would encourage you to give matrix another shot - it's gotten a lot better on mobile. My only remaining two gripes are the lack of multi-account support and the way threading works (I prefer Slack's method)

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • ? A Former User

                    @humptydumpty said in Best privacy chat apps:

                    I'm forced to use Windows because of the CAD/CAM software that I have

                    Hope this helps!
                    https://alternativeto.net/tag/cad/?license=opensource&platform=linux

                    humptydumptyH Offline
                    humptydumptyH Offline
                    humptydumpty
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #28

                    @hillside502 Thank you but I wish it was as simple as finding an alternative CAD program. I have multiple plugins that are specific to the industry and software I'm using. Without these plugins, my work would take x10 as long to complete.

                    robiR 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • humptydumptyH humptydumpty

                      @hillside502 Thank you but I wish it was as simple as finding an alternative CAD program. I have multiple plugins that are specific to the industry and software I'm using. Without these plugins, my work would take x10 as long to complete.

                      robiR Offline
                      robiR Offline
                      robi
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #29

                      @humptydumpty that's what VMs and containers are for. Containers run in Windows just fine.

                      Conscious tech

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • marcusquinnM Offline
                        marcusquinnM Offline
                        marcusquinn
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #30

                        Wow - Elon Musk celebrated his newly found ranking with a nice kick in the Zuckerburgs!

                        Follow my tweets on Signal here if you care: https://twitter.com/marcuswquinn

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

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        1
                        • marcusquinnM Offline
                          marcusquinnM Offline
                          marcusquinn
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #31

                          I reckon the fediverse is gonna get more interest following recent FB & Twitter self-determination as censors.

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

                          necrevistonnezrN 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • marcusquinnM marcusquinn

                            I reckon the fediverse is gonna get more interest following recent FB & Twitter self-determination as censors.

                            necrevistonnezrN Offline
                            necrevistonnezrN Offline
                            necrevistonnezr
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #32

                            @marcusquinn said in Best privacy chat apps:

                            following recent FB & Twitter self-determination as censors.

                            ?
                            They are private companies and under no obligation to uphold the First Amendment (US). They are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which exempts them from being treated as publishers and both protects them from liability and allows them to regulate content as they see fit.

                            We can certainly have a discussion if (i) these platforms have reached a monopoly - and hence have an undue influence on public speech - that needs regulation and / or (ii) they should indeed be treated like publishers or the press with all the freedoms and obligations - such as fact checking - attached to it.

                            Don't get me wrong, I hate these platforms and what they stand for with a passion and am certain that we would all be better off if Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. were turned off and deleted at once. Giving people and their opinions an unfettered platform has not improved the quality of opinion-forming and discussion but made it so much worse.

                            In any event, the "freedom of speech" is not an absolute right, neither in the US nor in most countries in the Western hemisphere. Like most constitutional rights they are - as a general rule - limited by the rights of your fellow citizen.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            2
                            • robiR Offline
                              robiR Offline
                              robi
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #33

                              Telegram seems to be upholding their censorship free platform so far..

                              Conscious tech

                              necrevistonnezrN 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • robiR robi

                                Telegram seems to be upholding their censorship free platform so far..

                                necrevistonnezrN Offline
                                necrevistonnezrN Offline
                                necrevistonnezr
                                wrote on last edited by necrevistonnezr
                                #34

                                @robi said in Best privacy chat apps:

                                Telegram seems to be upholding their censorship free platform so far..

                                ... and thus has attracted extremist, neo-nazis and covid deniers...

                                marcusquinnM 1 Reply Last reply
                                4
                                • necrevistonnezrN necrevistonnezr

                                  @robi said in Best privacy chat apps:

                                  Telegram seems to be upholding their censorship free platform so far..

                                  ... and thus has attracted extremist, neo-nazis and covid deniers...

                                  marcusquinnM Offline
                                  marcusquinnM Offline
                                  marcusquinn
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #35

                                  @necrevistonnezr ... and thus law enforcement can learn, find and handle as-is their role.

                                  I don't fancy law enforcement that also has a stock ticker to please.

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

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  1
                                  • marcusquinnM marcusquinn

                                    Chatting with @humptydumpty about alternatives to Discord, so thought I'd share my conclusions:

                                    • Signal seems the easiest for people used to Whatsapp, Discord, Messenger, Whatever
                                    • Telegram seems good but Signal being open-source seems better.
                                    • Matrix / Element / Mattermost - too quirky and poor mobile experience.
                                    • Rocket.Chat the best of our current Cloudron options but higher RAM needs.
                                    • Jitsi & Jami look like the best of the App Wishlist alternatives.
                                    • Tox looks OKish for desktop but no mobile.

                                    Hope that helps some - anything better than the above I've missed?

                                    JOduMonTJ Offline
                                    JOduMonTJ Offline
                                    JOduMonT
                                    wrote on last edited by JOduMonT
                                    #36

                                    After watching a video of the

                                    I started (WIP) a comparative of Android Chat/Call Application, my focus was privacy and anonymity.

                                    • Potentially Dangerous Persmissions numbers comes from the project Exodus
                                    • Pii: means you need to use a Personal identifiable information such as a phone number and/or an email

                                    Proprietary Apps

                                    Apps Trackers Potentially Dangerous Permissions Require Pii Note
                                    Facebook Messenger 4 4 yes (email/phone number) It don't just use Facebook tracker, but also Google Analytics
                                    Line Lite 1 6 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics
                                    Facebook Messenger Lite 1 7 yes (email/phone number) Use Google Analytics
                                    Google Duo 1 9 yes (email) Use Google Analytics
                                    Snapchat 3 10 Google AdMob
                                    WhatsApp 1 13 yes (phone number) Use Google Analytics and it is own by Facebook
                                    WeChat 5 13 Use Google Firebase Analytics, Facebook Analytics, Facebook Login and Facebook Share
                                    Skype 5 13 Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes, Microsoft VS App Center Analytics
                                    Line 4 14 yes (phone number) Use Google Analytics, Google AdMob, Facebook Login and Facebook Share
                                    Telegram 2 15 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes
                                    Skype Lite 4 16 Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes, Microsoft VS App Center Analytics
                                    Viber 10 16 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics, Google AdMob, Google CrashLytics, Twitter MoPub and Yandex Ad
                                    Telegram X 3 17 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics and Google AdMob

                                    Open Source Project to consider

                                    Apps Trackers Potentially Dangerous Permissions Require Pii Note
                                    Briar 0 2 no Probably the best one for pseudo-anonymity.
                                    Jitsi Meet 0 4 optional Great alternative to Zoom
                                    Nextcloud Talk 0 4 require login (username, email) + server side could be self-hosted
                                    Jami 0 5 optional
                                    Element 0 8 require login (username) + server side could be self-hosted
                                    Linphone 0 9 yes (phone number)
                                    Signal 0 19 yes (phone number)
                                    Mattermost 1 3 require login (username) + server side could be self-hosted + could be use as a gateway to others services.
                                    Wire 1 7 yes (email)

                                    At the end, the best is to host your own Nextcloud and convince your friend to come on your Nextcloud Talk 🙂

                                    mehdiM robiR 2 Replies Last reply
                                    7
                                    • marcusquinnM Offline
                                      marcusquinnM Offline
                                      marcusquinn
                                      wrote on last edited by marcusquinn
                                      #37

                                      Someone just pinged me this link on Twitter, seems to be reasonable info:

                                      • https://privacytools.io
                                      • https://privacytools.io/software/real-time-communication

                                      I saw someone saying the old "I have nothing to hide", although the obviously creep-ware that all these things do help hide is targeted advertising.

                                      Who wants to be "targeted" and have others pay to directly target them with a calculation that makes it more probable to profit from that targeting?

                                      Admittedly, I used to see this as legitimate business but the balance of cost and value to society doesn't seem to be in-line with efficiency and balance in relationships, so I'm personally backing away from all business that is dependent on paid advertising in preference for focusing on editorial value and self-challenging communities with a common interest in value over sales.

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

                                      robiR d19dotcaD 2 Replies Last reply
                                      1
                                      • JOduMonTJ JOduMonT

                                        After watching a video of the

                                        I started (WIP) a comparative of Android Chat/Call Application, my focus was privacy and anonymity.

                                        • Potentially Dangerous Persmissions numbers comes from the project Exodus
                                        • Pii: means you need to use a Personal identifiable information such as a phone number and/or an email

                                        Proprietary Apps

                                        Apps Trackers Potentially Dangerous Permissions Require Pii Note
                                        Facebook Messenger 4 4 yes (email/phone number) It don't just use Facebook tracker, but also Google Analytics
                                        Line Lite 1 6 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics
                                        Facebook Messenger Lite 1 7 yes (email/phone number) Use Google Analytics
                                        Google Duo 1 9 yes (email) Use Google Analytics
                                        Snapchat 3 10 Google AdMob
                                        WhatsApp 1 13 yes (phone number) Use Google Analytics and it is own by Facebook
                                        WeChat 5 13 Use Google Firebase Analytics, Facebook Analytics, Facebook Login and Facebook Share
                                        Skype 5 13 Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes, Microsoft VS App Center Analytics
                                        Line 4 14 yes (phone number) Use Google Analytics, Google AdMob, Facebook Login and Facebook Share
                                        Telegram 2 15 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes
                                        Skype Lite 4 16 Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes, Microsoft VS App Center Analytics
                                        Viber 10 16 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics, Google AdMob, Google CrashLytics, Twitter MoPub and Yandex Ad
                                        Telegram X 3 17 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics and Google AdMob

                                        Open Source Project to consider

                                        Apps Trackers Potentially Dangerous Permissions Require Pii Note
                                        Briar 0 2 no Probably the best one for pseudo-anonymity.
                                        Jitsi Meet 0 4 optional Great alternative to Zoom
                                        Nextcloud Talk 0 4 require login (username, email) + server side could be self-hosted
                                        Jami 0 5 optional
                                        Element 0 8 require login (username) + server side could be self-hosted
                                        Linphone 0 9 yes (phone number)
                                        Signal 0 19 yes (phone number)
                                        Mattermost 1 3 require login (username) + server side could be self-hosted + could be use as a gateway to others services.
                                        Wire 1 7 yes (email)

                                        At the end, the best is to host your own Nextcloud and convince your friend to come on your Nextcloud Talk 🙂

                                        mehdiM Offline
                                        mehdiM Offline
                                        mehdi
                                        App Dev
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #38

                                        @jodumont you comparison does not take into account whether or not the messages are encrypted. I personally think it's the most important feature to take into account.

                                        Also, take a look at Olvid. I don't use it personally, but I heard good things.

                                        JOduMonTJ 2 Replies Last reply
                                        2
                                        • JOduMonTJ JOduMonT

                                          After watching a video of the

                                          I started (WIP) a comparative of Android Chat/Call Application, my focus was privacy and anonymity.

                                          • Potentially Dangerous Persmissions numbers comes from the project Exodus
                                          • Pii: means you need to use a Personal identifiable information such as a phone number and/or an email

                                          Proprietary Apps

                                          Apps Trackers Potentially Dangerous Permissions Require Pii Note
                                          Facebook Messenger 4 4 yes (email/phone number) It don't just use Facebook tracker, but also Google Analytics
                                          Line Lite 1 6 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics
                                          Facebook Messenger Lite 1 7 yes (email/phone number) Use Google Analytics
                                          Google Duo 1 9 yes (email) Use Google Analytics
                                          Snapchat 3 10 Google AdMob
                                          WhatsApp 1 13 yes (phone number) Use Google Analytics and it is own by Facebook
                                          WeChat 5 13 Use Google Firebase Analytics, Facebook Analytics, Facebook Login and Facebook Share
                                          Skype 5 13 Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes, Microsoft VS App Center Analytics
                                          Line 4 14 yes (phone number) Use Google Analytics, Google AdMob, Facebook Login and Facebook Share
                                          Telegram 2 15 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes
                                          Skype Lite 4 16 Use Google Firebase Analytics and Microsoft VS App Center Crashes, Microsoft VS App Center Analytics
                                          Viber 10 16 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics, Google AdMob, Google CrashLytics, Twitter MoPub and Yandex Ad
                                          Telegram X 3 17 yes (phone number) Use Google Firebase Analytics and Google AdMob

                                          Open Source Project to consider

                                          Apps Trackers Potentially Dangerous Permissions Require Pii Note
                                          Briar 0 2 no Probably the best one for pseudo-anonymity.
                                          Jitsi Meet 0 4 optional Great alternative to Zoom
                                          Nextcloud Talk 0 4 require login (username, email) + server side could be self-hosted
                                          Jami 0 5 optional
                                          Element 0 8 require login (username) + server side could be self-hosted
                                          Linphone 0 9 yes (phone number)
                                          Signal 0 19 yes (phone number)
                                          Mattermost 1 3 require login (username) + server side could be self-hosted + could be use as a gateway to others services.
                                          Wire 1 7 yes (email)

                                          At the end, the best is to host your own Nextcloud and convince your friend to come on your Nextcloud Talk 🙂

                                          robiR Offline
                                          robiR Offline
                                          robi
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #39

                                          @jodumont thanks for the table!

                                          for Mattermost, what is meant by 'gateway to other services' ? API integrations?

                                          Conscious tech

                                          JOduMonTJ 1 Reply Last reply
                                          0
                                          • marcusquinnM marcusquinn

                                            Someone just pinged me this link on Twitter, seems to be reasonable info:

                                            • https://privacytools.io
                                            • https://privacytools.io/software/real-time-communication

                                            I saw someone saying the old "I have nothing to hide", although the obviously creep-ware that all these things do help hide is targeted advertising.

                                            Who wants to be "targeted" and have others pay to directly target them with a calculation that makes it more probable to profit from that targeting?

                                            Admittedly, I used to see this as legitimate business but the balance of cost and value to society doesn't seem to be in-line with efficiency and balance in relationships, so I'm personally backing away from all business that is dependent on paid advertising in preference for focusing on editorial value and self-challenging communities with a common interest in value over sales.

                                            robiR Offline
                                            robiR Offline
                                            robi
                                            wrote on last edited by
                                            #40

                                            @marcusquinn said in Best privacy chat apps:

                                            Admittedly, I used to see this as legitimate business but the balance of cost and value to society doesn't seem to be in-line with efficiency and balance in relationships, so I'm personally backing away from all business that is dependent on paid advertising in preference for focusing on editorial value and self-challenging communities with a common interest in value over sales.

                                            In another project we've come up with a business model that preserves privacy yet allows for getting paid for receiving advertising that is relevant to ones interests, if so desired.

                                            If everyone participated, it would be akin to a UBI with abundance.

                                            Conscious tech

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