Other than some of the decentralized ones, there aren't any that are not cucked. Even the decentralized ones probably have issues.
Telegram is fine as long as you realize it's for telling your friends "hello," but nothing else.
Even the decentralized ones probably have issues.
They absolutely do. Telegram, for example, is "decentralized" but every server has to call home to telegram HQ--honeypot.
Element, same story.
If you truly care about private messaging
- If you're using an iphone, give up now. There is no "secure messaging" solution. Can't handle that? Then you care more for convenience than privacy.
- Create a PGP private/public keypair
- Ge the person you want to communicate with to create their own PGP private/public keypair
- Share your public key with your friend, they shared their public with you
- Encrypt messages to your friend using THEIR public key, your friend will use YOUR public key to encrpyt reponses back to you.
- Communicate over literally any medium (eg. email, sms, etc.)
Here's a truly secure SMS app you can use which automates the PGP process for you, over SMS: . (Get your friend to install, then communicate via phone number). This will work forever, until they decomission SMS infrastructure (which will likely never happen)
best useful tip
Telegram isn't decentralized. It has multiple servers that handle the traffic - it's just not one data center in one country doing it all.
Telegram isn't decentralized. It has multiple servers that handle the traffic
FYI, that is the exact definition of "decentralized". This is part of the confusion people have. The term "decentralized" is thrown around, but the definition includes any service that has more than one node serving content.
"Fully distributed" is what most of us are envisioning when we hear the former term. A fully distributed system is one wherein every node is both the client and the server. (eg. p2p)
All major comms platforms have an SPF wherein all data is ultimately routed back through a central authority.
The platforms which do not suffer this issue are demonized, often made illegal by governments.
I think Signal might be an option
Signal requires a telephone number and it's mobile-first. If you're somewhere that your mobile device doesn't work for whatever reason, you can't use it because your messages go through that device. Signal provides your telephone number to Twilio for verification, and Twilio has been hacked.
Signal is a known CIA funded project. https://www.kitklarenberg.com/p/signal-facing-collapse-after-cia
Nothing on telegram is encrypted, stores everything in plain text on its servers! Holy shit, I never knew it was so bad.
Seems signal uses real encryption and nothing stored on servers. Snowden recommended it.
NOPE. Signal is a honeypot.
Signal was purchased by ex-facebook exec, with a $50 million buy.
All comms go through signal central servers.
If you believe signal is secure, then you must've thought microsoft-owned skype was secure, too.
From what I read, Signal is as good as you'll get. Interesting reading about them, I really thought telegram was good because of the illegal activity there. Signal is far better.
https://usa.kaspersky.com/blog/signal-privacy-security/24980/
That's it.
I'd use Tox but it doesn't have a good command line method. Tox is peer to peer with keys.
I haven't heard of that one. Nothing seems safe online.
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