Schmidt on Nostr: Privacy Features of Popular Messengers In the world of secure messaging, not all apps ...

Privacy Features of Popular Messengers

In the world of secure messaging, not all apps are created equal. Let's take a look at the privacy features of SimpleX, Signal, Session, and Threema.

1
SimpleX
- Fully decentralized with no central servers.
- No phone number or email required.
- Minimal metadata collected.
- Strong anonymity with no user identifiers.
- Users can run their own servers.
- Focused on privacy.

2
Signal
- Strong end-to-end encryption.
- Requires a phone number (less anonymous).
- Collects some metadata (e.g., contact discovery).
- Centralized, with servers controlled by Signal Foundation.
- Widely adopted, with a balance between privacy and usability.

3
Session
- Decentralized and uses Onion routing (Tor) for added anonymity.
- No phone number or email required.
- Minimal metadata.
- User IDs are public keys, providing strong anonymity.
- Open-source community servers, users can run their own nodes.

4
Threema
- End-to-end encryption, but partially open source.
- No phone number required, can use an anonymous ID.
- Some metadata is collected, but it's limited.
- Centralized, with servers controlled by Threema GmbH.
- Requires a one-time fee, but offers robust privacy features.

Conclusion

SimpleX for decentralization & privacy purists.
Signal for strong encryption with a user-friendly experience.
Session for anonymity-focused users.
Threema for those wanting privacy with an anonymous ID system.