this post was submitted on 05 Mar 2025
307 points (98.7% liked)

Privacy

1301 readers
135 users here now

Protect your privacy in the digital world

Welcome! This is a community for all those who are interested in protecting their privacy.

Rules

PS: Don't be a smartass and try to game the system, we'll know if you're breaking the rules when we see it!

  1. Be nice, civil and no bigotry/prejudice.
  2. No tankies/alt-right fascists. The former can be tolerated but the latter are banned.
  3. Stay on topic.
  4. Don't promote big-tech software.
  5. No reposting of news that was already posted. Even from different sources.
  6. No crypto, blockchain, etc.
  7. No Xitter links. (only allowed when can't fact check any other way, use xcancel)

Related communities:

founded 4 months ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (6 children)

Why? Because the Dutch national broadcasters keep plugging it as an alternative to Whatsapp.

Aside... Two apps keep getting mentioned as alternatives, Signal and Element/Matrix, but in MHRO both are not viable as replacements.

Signal: still a US app, CIA funded, provides their encryption backbone to Whatsapp, recommended by governments & FBI. Matrix/Element: Developed in Israel, with ties to IDF, preferred by NATO (NI2CE)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 hours ago

you’re spreading lies lies lies FUD

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

IDGAF who funds it or who develops it.

  • E2E encrypted
  • security review by independent party I trust which says there are no holes or bugs
  • open source

Those three things are all that matters.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Just FYI:

If you want to say "both are not", you can instead use "neither".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yes you can, both are correct.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago

you are neither correct nor right.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Signal is funded by the CIA now ? And I thought Element is in the UK?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Signal does seem to have some ties to the CIA

There seems to be a completely different Israeli company called matrix. I can't find any link between the two.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

It's old and convoluted, something like a precursor to element got funding from Israel or something

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Maybe OP means that the Matrix protocol is created by an Israeli company.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Other than people you don't like living in the world here with us, do you have any proof of anything actually nefarious done by signal or matrix?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Signal: still a US app, CIA funded

Honestly, this gives me more confidence in it. The CIA is very interested in keeping its people safe, so if they're using it, its in their interest to ensure it's secure. If they do put in a backdoor, I happen to be a US citizen so I'm unlikely to be a target since the CIA is all about surveillance on outsiders (FBI is domestic). FBI and Signal rarely agree, but they agree that Signal is great, so I think that's a pretty strong endorsement.

Add to that Edward Snowden recommends it, and he's certainly an enemy of both the CIA and the FBI at this point.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

If nobody used CIA funded security tools, we wouldn't have security tools

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I happen to be a US citizen so I’m unlikely to be a target since the CIA is all about surveillance on outsiders (FBI is domestic)

All of that's off the table now with Trump in power. It's more than likely the CIA will be deployed against domestic targets.