WhatsApp uses the open-source Signal protocol
Why are people always saying this when we have absolutely no way to verify that that's true?
this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2024
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It should be provable they use the protocol. That's what goes over the wire and it can be observed.
What's not provable is that there isn't a backdoor in the app that allows specific users to be targeted.
Similarly, it's not provable that there isn't some client side scanning technology.
Furthermore, it would be difficult to prove that Whatsapp doesn't send some data back to Meta for all users masked as part of some other network operation.
I suspect any backdoor that happens for all users or regularly would've been detected, but that still doesn't mean it's safe.
Could taking a bath in burning gasoline be dangerous?
let's find out in this article!
If you submerge completely you'd be okay for a few seconds, as the fire is only on the surface.
But then you'd be submerged in gasoline.
Not for long.
Now I'm curious how long a bathtub full of gasoline would take to burn up completely.
Unless your bathtub is in an empty parking lot, I don't suggest any scientific endeavors.
No. Signal is the only private messaging app.
Session? Session messenger?
Actually session is great too 👍
Session comes with its own anonymity network...you sometimes need a VPN to access it, but still.
And even though there's no quantum encryption on it yet. Whoever would try to use a quantum computer to break in would still need to use it for quite awhile on hundreds of different servers each processing thousands of different people's traffic at any time.
Not the only one.
Threema is decent, too. Crypto is comparable, and allows signups without email or phone number. It's a paid app, though, but anonymous purchase options are available.
What about SinpleX Chat? Briar?
It's not. Use signal messenger or session messenger instead.
Use a p2p messenger like briar. no servers in between and e2ee.
Session is better because of the proxies
I honestly wouldn't send private content over WhatsApp or telegram.
If the private photos you are talking about are of sexual nature I would advise against taking them in the first place. While the laws are improving around them to make distribution punishable( in some places ), you honestly can't tell what will happen once you send it.
People can take screenshots, save it, take a picture with a different device, .... Sure, some apps prevent it, but they can't block external devices.
Even if the receiver saves the picture in a personal cloud archive he can still get hacked and lose it. Or somebody finds them on his device that he sent in for repair.
If you do decide to send sexual private images. Make sure you're not identifiable ( face, tattoo, ... ). If itnxould be anyone and it leaks, it still sucks. But at least nobody really knows it is you.
I have no idea what software I'd use. But definitely not something owned by meta or Microsoft/google/Amazon. I have reasonable faith in signal. And I suppose running your own matrix server works. While you can't control what they do with it once received, you can at least be sure it's scrubbed off your server.
While the person you're sending them to totally wouldn't do it right now. Always assume people are petty and will do it once you get in a big argument. Or sometimes we all have bad judgement calls and people are assholes.
If the kind of photos you're talking about are non-sexual but just family photos and the like. I'd share the photos through a photo library. Like a photoprism you manage.
Note: I'm not judging. Just be careful who you send which pictures.