Why Is Secure and Private Messaging Important?

Everyone has a right to privacy. Whether that’s the privacy afforded in our homes, whilst we are trying on new clothes at the local fashion store or simply communicating with loved ones and friends online. Physical privacy is quite an easy concept to understand and monitor; if you’re not being watched or listened to by anyone else, then you are protected. Online privacy is a little harder to understand and police. This article will be focusing specifically on online communication and why it's important to have the ability to speak freely over the internet.

Why Is Secure/Private Messaging Important?

When most people think online privacy they tend to automatically think ‘illegal’ activities. This is a rather strange assumption to make seeing as we highly value our physical privacy but don’t make those same assumptions in the real world when somebody calls for privacy — eg. visiting the bathroom or getting changed into your sleepwear.

Whether you are sending confidential business documents or sending raunchy photos to your loved one, the ability to remain private (and secure) with our online communications should be a fundamental right for all internet users. Here are some of the main reasons why a regular user would value secure and private messaging:

• Identity Theft. This is something we should all be concerned about. It’s all too easy to share sensitive photos and information through messengers (like drivers licence/passport or bank account information). Armed with these bits of data, a criminal could pose as yourself and carry out a number of identity attacks.
• Being Advertised To. We’ve all woken up and jumped online to find that something you spoke about the day before with a friend is now being advertised to you online. Advertisers bid for your information so that they can sell you their products and this is how the vast majority of ‘free’ messaging apps make their revenue. BE WARY
• Business Dealings. You are sharing or discussing sensitive information regarding a business. This could be legally mandated through an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) or just sensitive intellectual property not wished to be leaked.
• Whistleblower or Journalist. When reporting on the news in countries where they may not wish to have that news reported, journalists could find themselves in trouble if found out. Using insecure messaging apps could literally land someone in jail, or worse.
• Privacy, Because I Can. It’s okay and totally valid to want privacy in your online communications. You could be talking with loved ones or dealing with a stranger for a service. Either way, secure and private communication online should be afforded to you.

What Can YOU Do to Protect Yourself?

Thankfully staying safe online is getting easier due to the advancements in software and technology. No longer do you have to rely on old and clunky forms of communication like fax, SMS or email. Instant messengers are all too common these days, but unfortunately, they aren’t all made equal. Here are some basic tips for choosing the right app:

1. E2EE (end-to-end-encryption). This is a MUST. E2EE is a method of secure communication that prevents third-parties from accessing data while it’s transferred from one end system or device to another. The data is encrypted (locked & secured) on the sender’s system or device and only the recipient is able to decrypt (unlock & read) it.
2. Open Source. Open Source refers to the code written to build the application which is released under a license whereby the copyright holder grants users the right to study, change, and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose. Basically, it’s them opening their doors saying ‘we have nothing to hide, look for yourself’.
3. Third-Party Audit. Applications that are to be taken seriously will welcome third party audits of their software. This generally involves a qualified and independent company reviewing the application and fact-checking all their claims for validity.
4. Data Collection. As mentioned above, the vast majority of apps will be ‘free’ to use but the real trade-off is that they are collecting enormous amounts of data in the back end and selling that off to advertisers for a huge profit. This is YOUR digital data and by using these apps you are welcoming these companies to make money off you and your, supposedly private, conversations.

So, Which App(s) Should I Use?

The options are almost endless and it’s likely that you may already use some of the more popular apps out there. It seems every single one of my friends uses a different app to communicate which can be tiring to manage. However, there is really only a select few worth recommending that stick to the above principles and really care about their user's security and privacy.

My current #1 recommendation is Signal. It adheres to all of the above points, is run by a Not for Profit foundation and has a solid track record when it comes to security/privacy. There are some features I would still like Signal to improve on, mainly the removal of the requirement for a mobile phone number to create an account, but for now, it’s going to hold my #1 spot. If you want to learn more about Signal, stay tuned for my upcoming review of their app.

Thanks for getting to the end of this blog. I'm keen to hear your thoughts and comments about your experiences, please don't be shy!

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