Instant Messaging
Instant messaging (IM) is a technology that allows messages to be transmitted instantly. This article will focus on comparing features and privacy concerns between IM solutions.
IM Solutions
IM can be found in social media apps like Discord, Instagram, Whatsapp, Telegram and many others but its usually thru the use of a protocol. The most common protocol for IM is XMPP, though other options exist like IRC and WebRTC.
Privacy Concerns
On every IM solution there will always be data stored on the server about their users and messages, and some might not even have end-to-end encryption, which makes it harder to have a private conversation over the internet. Furthermore, some servers might leak metadata which in some cases can be enough to track an individual.
Software Comparison
| Software | E2EE | Federated | License | Data Collected | Metadata |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XMPP | Optional (OMEMO/PGP) | Yes | Depends on server/client | JID (Jabber ID) messages (can be encrypted) timestamps IP (depends on server) Message history (depends on server config) |
JID Client name Presence |
| Matrix | Optional (MEGOLM) | Yes | Depends on server/client | Matrix user ID Email (depends on server) IP adress |
timestamps IP addresses Presence Everyone present in the room |
| Signal | Yes (signal protocol) | No | AGPL-3.0 (server), GPL3 (client and protocol) | IP adress Phone Number |
timestamp of last connection contacts (hashed) date of registration |
References
XMPP
- https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0313.html
- https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0446.html
- https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0084.html
Matrix
- https://wire.com/en/blog/matrix-not-safe-eu-data-privacy
- https://hackea.org/notas/matrix.html
- https://forum.hackliberty.org/t/why-we-abandoned-matrix-the-dark-truth-about-user-security-and-safety/224
- https://gist.github.com/subpub/cbaa02ae2ec56ff19e63ea7126a78b7f