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==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.
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 metadata stored on every message, and some might not even have end-to-end encryption, which makes it harder to have a private conversation over the internet.
The table bellow compares the privacy concerns of IM solution. Metadata shared, E2EE, if its federated, if its open source (clients and/or servers)
{| class="wikitable"
! Software !! E2EE !! Federated !! License !! Metadata
|-
| XMPP || optional (OMEMO/PGP) || yes || depends || "from" adress<br> "to" adress<br> message<br> timestamp
|}

Revision as of 14:19, 11 July 2025

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 metadata stored on every message, and some might not even have end-to-end encryption, which makes it harder to have a private conversation over the internet.

The table bellow compares the privacy concerns of IM solution. Metadata shared, E2EE, if its federated, if its open source (clients and/or servers)

Software E2EE Federated License Metadata
XMPP optional (OMEMO/PGP) yes depends "from" adress
"to" adress
message
timestamp