Exciting news for privacy!

Debby

Exciting news for privacy! The US government has officially recommended using Signal and other encrypted messaging apps after recent telecom hacks. This is a huge step forward in recognizing the importance of secure communication!

As someone who has always championed free and open-source software, I’m thrilled to see this acknowledgment from the government, especially given the increasing threats to our privacy. With the rise of surveillance and the potential for breaches in our communication networks, it’s more important than ever to prioritize encrypted messaging.

If even the CIA is warning us about the dangers of unencrypted communications, we should take it seriously! Let’s embrace tools that protect our privacy and autonomy. Remember, our digital safety is in our hands!

Have you made the switch to Signal or another secure messaging app, or know someone making it now?

#PrivacyMatters #OpenSource #Signal #EncryptedMessaging #DigitalSecurity #UserPrivacy #CISA #TechForGood #StaySafeOnline #FreeSoftware

Jerry Lerman

@debby Agreed, for sure. Signal is the best of the centralized messaging apps available for the reasons you state. Nobody should use the others. BUT...

But, #Signal's server software is proprietary, not open source, which concerns me. Only their client software is open source. Why might this be?

UPDATE: Signal has made all their software open source. My information was outdated. However, the software only runs on their own servers, which might be concerning to some people. This is certainly a better situation than WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, X, Threads, and BlueSky.

#XMPP servers, on the other hand, are entirely open source. The servers are distributed and privately owned, like Mastodon, Friendica, Lemmy, Piefed, Sharky, etc. allowing people to choose their server and then communicate with anyone using any other XMPP server.

The optional #OMEMO encryption that most XMPP servers offer is as good as the best others offer, including Signal. They support video calls, file transfers, group chats, and all this stuff.

I believe in Open Source distributed software so much, and that nobody should allow a corporation to keep their identities and data, that I opened my own XMPP server to the public this weekend (https://between-us.online).

I just wish I could convince people I chat with to start using it. I seem to care more about these concepts than most other people. Is it me or them who has it wrong?

@_elena

Debby

@Jerry @_elena I completely understand your concerns about Signal's server software being proprietary. It’s definitely a valid point, and I share your desire for more transparency in the tools we use. While Signal is a step in the right direction compared to unencrypted options, I agree that open-source solutions like XMPP offer a more decentralized and user-controlled approach.

Kudos to you for opening your own XMPP server! That’s an amazing initiative, and I’m excited to give it a try. It’s true that many people may not fully grasp the importance of these concepts yet, but every conversation we have helps raise awareness. Let’s keep spreading the word about the benefits of open-source and decentralized communication!

Thanks again for your insights, and I look forward to connecting on your server!

#OpenSource #XMPP #Decentralization #PrivacyAdvocate #CommunityDriven

Derek Morr

@debby @Jerry @_elena Signal’s server is not proprietary. You can download the code here. https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Server

Jerry Lerman

@derekmorr @debby @_elena
Seems you are right. My information was outdated. They have finally made it all open source.

I suppose now the only issue is that it runs only on their servers, which may be concerning to some.

Elena Rossini ⁂

@Jerry thank you for starting a conversation about this Jerry and @debby .

I use Signal as my primary messaging app but I’ve also been concerned that - despite them being open source - communications are hosted on their own servers. I know everything is E2EE but I wish I had more control. That’s why I’m now drawn to #Matrix . Their app #Element is superb. You could host your own Matrix server. Only downside: asking my non-technical friends and family to move to it.

Thoughts?

Jerry Lerman

@_elena @debby
Elena, your reason for being drawn to Matrix is the same reason I was drawn to #Jabber (XMPP). And, sadly, it's the same downside. Getting friends and family to move to a private platform seems impossible.

I don't know if I'm the crazy one, or them?

I chose Jabber because it seems more appropriate for one-on-one chats, although it supports groups. Matrix, to me, seemed to be the reverse situation. But, I could be wrong.

I've also read many stories about how difficult it is to both run a Matrix server and moderate it. Although, I haven't faced moderation issues yet with my Jabber server.

Elena Rossini ⁂

@Jerry re: getting friends to move, I managed the impossible and got 95% of my friends and my ENTIRE family to move to Signal in January 2020. Matrix is a whole different thing though, I wouldn't even dare ask them.

I need to start doing Signal exports / backups in case something happens to my phone, I wouldn't want to lose 5 years' worth of messages. My Signal "backups" for now are my husband's phone and my family's phones (they could export chats for me)

Debacle

@_elena @Jerry

I got most of family and friends to #Jabber by not having centralised (i.e. WA, Signal, Telegram etc.) options myself. Only #XMPP, email, snail mail postcard. Many took the first option, some the second, very few the third.

Most are still on WA for everyone else but me, but that's their #digitalHealth issue, not mine.

Jerry Lerman

@debacle @_elena
I have not been so lucky ️

Maybe your family and friends like talking to you more than my family and friends like talking to me.

Elena ``of Valhalla''

@Jerry @debacle @_elena I'm in a similar situation, and I've used a bit of a stick-and-carrot approach where I'm only available on xmpp (or email. nobody seems to have taken up the postcard option ), but I've also offered family members accounts on my server, to ease their onboarding.

(for convenience I also host accounts for a few friends, but in that case I have the requirement that they provide the domain, so that they can easily migrate elsewhere if they so decide)

Debacle

@valhalla @Jerry @_elena

Talking of onboarding #Jabber, #Prosody by @prosodyim has a very nice invitation system:

Great Invitations

There are two kinds of servers on the XMPP network today: those with public registration, and those without. The servers that support registration generally allow you to create accounts via the web, or using your XMPP client (XEP-0077). The problem is that this opens your server up to the world. Even when you add CAPTCHAs and other defences, even the most careful XMPP public server admin will at some point see spammers registering accounts on their server.

(blog.prosody.im)

It allows users of an #XMPP server to invite others, which again can invite more people etc.

Jerry Lerman

@debacle @valhalla @_elena @prosodyim
Thank you for sharing this!