Decentralized messengers with client-to-client encryption: Briar
I thought it would be of value to do a small series on decentralized messenger app's with "client-to-client encryption", as I see it, there is a great need for better safety for "normal people" and businesses who want to communicate online.
Image source: briarproject.org
There is a whole lot of complaining about the current situation with socialmedia, (or as I like to call it "old-socialmedia"), the lack of safety and the problem with information theft.
There is almost no talk about safe alternatives!?
Are there any solutions to this problem? Anyway, I thought I would write some articles about decentralized messengers with client-to-client encryption.
This is "Briar", (Im not "shilling" Briar I promise), and I have never tried using it, but it's listed on wikipedia as an "encrypted decentralized client to client messenger app".
Briar is a messaging app designed for activists, journalists, and anyone else who needs a safe, easy and robust way to communicate. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Briar doesn't rely on a central server - messages are synchronized directly between the users' devices. If the internet's down, Briar can sync via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, keeping the information flowing in a crisis. If the internet's up, Briar can sync via the Tor network, protecting users and their relationships from surveillance.
Quoted from, source: https://briarproject.org/how-it-works.html
Briar is free and open source software, on wikipedia it says: "simple enough to help anyone keep their data safe." So they are clearly targeting "normal users" not only hackers and developers and such. If you are a developer you can even download and examine the source-code here: https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/tree/master
• Did anyone on steemit.com try Briar?
• Is Briar really a safe alternative?
• Since Im just a "normal person" and no "security expert," I would like to hear your opinion!
Sources:
https://briarproject.org/
wikipedia.org
wikipedia.org Messengers_with_client-to-client_encryption
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"Briar has received funding from Small Media, the Open Internet Tools Project, Access, the Open Technology Fund, and the Prototype Fund."
The Open Technology Fund is backed by the U.S. Government. Access and the Prototype Fund are fun too (haven't really checked out the other two, but yeah, I'm definitely not gonna use Briar).
Okay thank you for your input @kevinsarpei but "backed" is quite vague, but I understand your concern. Personally Im more worried about private companies or other actors stealing or buying your stolen information from these "socialmedia companies". In Mexico there have been kidnappings where the victims have been targeted using information from socialmedia etc, this is not uncommon...
Cheers!
/FF
What I meant by "backed" is that it's funded by the government ;)
hhaha glad i saw your comment and doh!!
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Just tagging along to see what you are up to. I think most people just use the messenger that most of their contacts are on.
I can see it being really hard to get a new messenger to take off.
@headchange
Just trying to uncover some (possibly) safer alternatives, how people want to share their data is up to them... But yeah, it's hard to change old habits, yet people do change sometimes because its just like that... Thanks for dropping by!!!!
/FF
I guess I am just coming at it from personal experience.
For example I would love to escape the face book messenger. That is not likely to happen anytime soon, since all of my friends and family are there.
Okay @headchange. Personally I have changed messengers a few times, I remember the first one I had was called ICQ, "I Seek You", it was created by some Israeli company...
/FF
I remember ICQ Everything was so different back then. In many ways the internet was far more interesting before it became so mainstream.
@headchange
I had so many random friends on different messengers all over the world, that I lost by changing services, or by forgetting passwords etc, I wonder what they are all doing today... =)
It would be fun to know...
/FF
Me too I remember the irc boards. I use to do muds and moos as well. Lamba Moo was so crazy with the fireplace transporter.
I never got into that... I had some friends who where, I think they where very early "internet freaks" (with rich parents that supplied computers), successful entrepreneurs and such now...
/FF
great post, i thought this was a post that told me how the experience went for you using briar? 😮
You are right, a real review would be better...
😨
But Im not a "hacker" or "security expert" so for now Im only doing a series on the ones listed on wikipedia, (making some research online and then posting the information I find here).
Hoping these articles will be helpful for people who are pondering the issue at hand... But I guess I could try and download it on my smartphone and write another article about the user experience, but I wouldn't be able to do "security testing" or something advanced like that...
Thanks for your input @eaglespirit.
/FF
no worries! since its gvt funded dont bother, most of us are cringing at gvt control right now.
Im going to check out a few other apps/messengers and maybe after the articles are done, I will do some actual testing, its interesting to read what people here think about them too. I never really bothered, but now Im mainly concerned with the private companies and their integrity. Here is article number two: Babelnet.
/FF
@friendly-fenix oh cool, just make sure the fed isn't involved and try some of the new ones that are encrypted LOL
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