Signal.

          I'm always surprised at the number of activists who still use vacuum information sucking F/B WhatsApp, when there is an excellent free encrypted message system that happens to be on our side. I am of course talking about "Signal", the messaging system that I try to get those I know to switch to, from the usual data gathering popular system. That simple change would make your communications practically useless to prying eyes, data gathering organisations, state and otherwise
         Perhaps the following article might convince a few more to abandon the popular Facebook, WhatsApp data grabbing message systems for a free, secure and simple to use friendly system, Signal.

This from It's Going Down: 

  

         Technical discourse almost always generates an odd sort of distortion when it collides with life outside of disciplinary separations. This is very much the case when it comes to radicals and information security. Communications, computer science and cryptography are highly complex, to the point that even people working in the security industry full time have difficulty grasping the complexities from time to time. As we saw with the Snowden leaks, the combination of highly complex technical content and the possibility of danger in the form of surveillance, tended to generate a discourse grounded in hyperbole and conspiracizing. This approach often led people to either attempt to completely go dark, or to modify their practices base on false, misconstrued or misunderstood information.

         Over the past series of years this phenomenon has emerged in relation to Signal and Tor, very specifically. Without getting too into the technical elements of each, we can definitively say that the conspiracies about weak encryption, protocols being “broken,” secret government backdoors and so on are commonly held, but ultimately damaging and false arguments. This tendency is gaining traction and accelerating in relation to Moxie Marlinspike leaving Signal.

Well worth reading the full article HERE: 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk   

Your Data.

       In my enthusiastic drive to get people to flee from the data syphoning "Whats app" part of the Facebook family, I post this info from NordVPN giving comparisons between the various messaging app's available. Signal me when you have joined.
      Read the full article HERE:

#1 Signal

       Handles group chats, SMS, voice, video, documents and picture messages
Offers disappearing messages (with a timer)
Signal protocol
Open source
Doesn’t store user data or metadata
Advocated by Edward Snowden
Needs a phone number to register
      Signal is the overall winner for both iOS and Android users. Signal created an encryption protocol that is now recognized as the most secure messaging app protocol out there. It offers everything most users need – SMS, video and voice calls, group chats, file sharing, disappearing messages, etc – without stuffing the app with ads and collecting user data. It’s also an open source platform so anyone can check it for vulnerabilities (though no one has discovered any yet). Even Edward Snowden, the (in)famous NSA whistleblower, endorsed this app.
       The only flaw we found is that you can’t use the app anonymously and need at least your phone number to register. However, we still think it’s the perfect choice for the average user. 

Comparison of secure messaging apps

 

        There is also a much lesser know, message app that rates very highly by security freaks, but costs to join Threema. 

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk    

Personal.

 

       "Signal is okay but it's owned by one non-profit company (which you may or may not trust). Matrix is better. It's also end to end encrypted and open source, but you can run your own servers (and connect to other servers seamlessly) so you have much more control over your own data. There is a Glasgow based server here: https://matrix.glasgow.social"

 

        The above is a comment posted on my previous article on the messaging service Signal. I don’t profess in any way to be an authority on these matters, I just believe that we should be moving away from the big corporate giants in the communication/social media scene, with all there controls over, and storing/sharing of your data. I personally would always prefer open-source, but free open-source is always an attraction. So I would be delighted if people came forward with their opinions on where to go to escape the multinational control oriented beasts that at present seem to hold us in the palm of their hands. Pros and cons of Signal, Matrix or whatever you think would help us break that control over our data. Thanks Neil for your comment.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk     

Signal.

       More and more groups and individuals are starting to use "Signal" as their chosen messaging service, it's free, open-source and encrypted end to end. Your message leaves your device encrypted arrives at signal encrypted, is forwarded encrypted and then deleted at the server's end. Even the server has no idea what you sent. Making it extremely difficult for any prying eyes to see what you are chatting about. Sounds like the right method to communicate with your little group knowing that only those you send to can read what you sent. This is not a sales pitch, I just think it is worth considering in switching, for obvious reasons.

Info on Signal.

EU and Signal.

Signal, what is it.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk