Having less-secure encryption as the default, Telegram says, protects users from unwanted surveillance.Īs opposed to WhatsApp, which uses third-party servers like iCloud or Google Drive to store backups-giving Apple and Google the ability to manage that information-Telegram’s backups are broken into pieces and live on its own servers around the world. Pavel Durov, one of the app’s founders, also argues that government agencies might target users using “niche apps” such as Signal, assuming that anyone opting for that high level of privacy has something to hide. The lack of widespread E2E encryption is meant to give users instant access to backups on multiple devices, no matter when they joined a channel or group chat, Telegram says. This is great from a privacy standpoint, but it also means that all other communications (group chats, channels, and non-secret chats) are cloud-based and encryption protection ends when they hit the server. These chats leave no trace: they cannot be forwarded, leave no trace on Telegram’s servers, and you can have sent messages self-destruct after a specific time. Only Secret Chats, which are one-to-one, are protected by this protocol. The platform also uses E2E encryption, but not by default. Signal’s developers say they’re thinking of a way around it, but as of writing, there’s no date or specific project in the works to resolve this. Of course, handing over a phone number to create an account-and automatically sharing it with anybody who might find you through the app-means you won’t be entirely anonymous. The US government subpoenaed user data in 2016, but authorities only got their hands on the dates accounts were created, dates of last connections, and phone numbers. End-to-end (E2E) encryption protects everything you share through Signal by default, and the foundation says it doesn’t store any sensitive information. Privacy-wise, you can set your messages to self-destruct at any time from one second after they’re read to four weeks after you send them. The platform supports texting, video and voice calls, as well as file-sharing. It’s one of the main reasons users trust the app, as there’s no big tech company behind it. Signal is free, open-source, and operated by The Signal Foundation-a non-profit with a mission to “ develop open source privacy technology.” Brian Acton, one of WhatsApp’s founders, left Facebook ( reportedly on bad terms) after the company acquired his platform, and donated $50 million to create the foundation. In fact, the app’s proto c ol, developed by Open Whisper Systems, is also embedded within the code of competitors such as WhatsApp and Skype, and inspired Viber’s customized version. The gold standard of secure messaging apps, Signal is a stripped-down platform designed to put privacy and security first.
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