Why use Signal over XMPP and Matrix? Signal is centralized and wants you to stay in check, using their crappy client, giving away your phone number, and all your presence, social graph and other privacy sensitive information to a single actor (which can’t be yourself, because you can’t self host signal) and that has nothing to back it up other than “trust me bro, I’m gonna do no harm, but also I control all your communications under my own terms and conditions and there’s nothing you can do about it”.
Matrix was found leaking metadata, it’s not like Matrix is bad or anything. But it just doesn’t get the attention it needs.
For WhatsApp users that do want better privacy and security, Signal is a solid choice.
XMPP, by default with no configuration doesn’t really have encryption and also, it has issues with metadata leakage as well.
For the average joe, Signal is a simple app that has privacy and security out of the box.
Sure, it would be awesome if Matrix was widely adopted, but it isn’t.
What Matrix metadata leakage are you talking about? Regarding XMPP, I am not aware of anything like it, and I suspect that this leakage you are talking about is just standard client-server signaling, where in federated protocols like Matrix and XMPP you can chose whom to trust (or self-host) whereas in all other cases your metadata isn’t just centralized and consolidated, you have no recourse and knowledge about what’s being done with it.
On the side of XMPP, OMEMO (which is XMPP’s take on double ratchet encryption à la Signal) is standard across the board of all maintained clients, so you wouldn’t be less secure there than on e.g. Signal or Telegram, so your take on XMPP’s security isn’t factual.
XMPP arguably has some of of the strongest crypto functionality there is, it’s just too dependent on the app to feel safe, since all of the vulnerabilities in these ecosystems are basically down to the client implementation.
Why use Signal over XMPP and Matrix? Signal is centralized and wants you to stay in check, using their crappy client, giving away your phone number, and all your presence, social graph and other privacy sensitive information to a single actor (which can’t be yourself, because you can’t self host signal) and that has nothing to back it up other than “trust me bro, I’m gonna do no harm, but also I control all your communications under my own terms and conditions and there’s nothing you can do about it”.
Matrix was found leaking metadata, it’s not like Matrix is bad or anything. But it just doesn’t get the attention it needs. For WhatsApp users that do want better privacy and security, Signal is a solid choice. XMPP, by default with no configuration doesn’t really have encryption and also, it has issues with metadata leakage as well.
For the average joe, Signal is a simple app that has privacy and security out of the box. Sure, it would be awesome if Matrix was widely adopted, but it isn’t.
What Matrix metadata leakage are you talking about? Regarding XMPP, I am not aware of anything like it, and I suspect that this leakage you are talking about is just standard client-server signaling, where in federated protocols like Matrix and XMPP you can chose whom to trust (or self-host) whereas in all other cases your metadata isn’t just centralized and consolidated, you have no recourse and knowledge about what’s being done with it.
On the side of XMPP, OMEMO (which is XMPP’s take on double ratchet encryption à la Signal) is standard across the board of all maintained clients, so you wouldn’t be less secure there than on e.g. Signal or Telegram, so your take on XMPP’s security isn’t factual.
Huh, some things might have changed then. My memory is from around 2021-2022, so things might have changed.
Signal is an installable App from an app store… Where’s your matrix and xmpp? That’s why they use it over element/etc
XMPP arguably has some of of the strongest crypto functionality there is, it’s just too dependent on the app to feel safe, since all of the vulnerabilities in these ecosystems are basically down to the client implementation.
Matrix and XMPP have plenty of apps installable from those stores as well, not sure what your argument is about?