Just read that over 80% of the world's internet users live under laws that let governments demand data from tech companies

I saw this in a report from a group called Freedom House last week. It means most of us are one legal request away from having our private chats and emails handed over, even if they're 'encrypted' on the app. That totally changes what 'private' means. If the company has the key, it's not really your secret. It made me think we need tools where only the people talking hold the keys, not some big company. Has anyone else switched to a truly end-to-end app because of this?

3 comments

3 Comments

jesse7731mo ago

Switched to Signal last year for this exact reason. It's not perfect but the keys stay on my phone, not on a server. The move was a bit annoying at first, had to convince a few friends to join me. Now it's just normal for our group chats.

dixon.amy1mo ago

But what about when you need to sync chats across a new phone and a laptop? Doesn't that usually mean your keys get backed up to a company server again, which defeats the whole point.

ryan_nelson1d ago

Wait, you're telling me my secret recipe for microwave ramen isn't safe from the government? Great. I switched to Signal a few months back and the hardest part was explaining to my mom why she can't just text me screenshots of her cat on WhatsApp anymore. She thinks I'm being dramatic until I showed her the fine print on Facebook's privacy policy. Now she's trying to get her bingo group to migrate and it's honestly more stressful than filing taxes. But hey, at least now when I send a questionable meme, it's actually mine to keep.