RitaVPN is a vital tool for daily private web use, but there are additional methods to defend your data. One of those methods, encrypted messaging, has exploded in popularity over the last few years. So, which encrypted messenger should you be using? Let’s take a look.
Encrypted Messaging Apps
As the demand for online privacy increased, so did the development of encrypted messaging apps. With all these apps popping up, it’s difficult to separate the worthwhile from the wastes of time. Three of the most popular are WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. Here’s our breakdown of each.
WhatsApp
Price: Free
Operating systems: iOS, Android
WhatsApp is by far the most popular encrypted messaging app. This summer, they surpassed one billion daily users. Popularity and quality don’t always go hand-in-hand, but you could do worse than WhatsApp. End-to-end encryption is now enabled for all users by default, and with such a massive user base, there’s a high likelihood that your friends and family are already familiar with the app. So, even if they’re not already using the service, people are usually more inclined to download something they’ve heard of. That matters, because encrypted messaging apps serve no purpose if you have nobody to talk to.
Despite these positives, you should be wary of Facebook’s involvement. The social media titan owns WhatsApp, and holds a murky privacy track record. As part of Facebook’s ownership of WhatsApp, the two entities exchange data freely. There are two other causes for concern. First, while the encryption protocol WhatsApp uses is open-source, the rest of the app is not. That means it cannot be fully-vetted. Second, WhatsApp reserves the right to collect and share message metadata and contact information.
Signal
Price: Free
Operating systems: iOS, Android
Signal is not as widely known as WhatsApp, but it has a glowing reputation amongst privacy advocates; even Edward Snowden endorses it. Most notably, WhatsApp uses the encryption protocol created by Open Whisper Systems, Signal’s developer. Unlike other encryption messaging apps on the market, Signal is entirely funded by donations and grant money. That means they have no data incentives – no ads, no message metadata logs, and no recorded contact information. In fact, Signal intentionally stores as little data as possible. The only significant “metadata” Signal keeps is the date its users last connected to a server.
When it comes to encrypted messaging, Signal is the clear winner. Its privacy policy and coding are superior to all competitors. The entire app is open-source, which means experts can closely vet it for vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, Signal’s user base is significantly smaller than the likes of WhatsApp. Its lack of popularity obviously means that your contacts are less likely to use the service. And without the name recognition of WhatsApp, friends and family may take some convincing.
Telegram
Price: Free
Operating systems: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows, macOS, Linux
With over 100 million monthly active users, Telegram is more popular than Signal, but not based on merit. Although Telegram is available on a wider range of operating systems, it is not safe option. Telegram does encrypt text messages but they do so using their own homegrown protocol. You’ll recall that this was a pro for Signal, but here, it’s a con. Telegram’s protocol has not been subject to proper industry scrutinization, and its security has not been validated.
Additionally, while Telegram’s text messages can be encrypted, the encryption is not turned on by default. This means that many users think they’re gaining privacy from Telegram, but they’re receiving no benefit at all unless they text in “secret chat” mode. And even when users do enable encryption, Telegram messages are stored on unencrypted servers. This is almost unthinkable. What’s the point of using encrypted messaging if the entire process is not secure? It’s a security nightmare. Despite being positioned in the market as safe, private messaging service, Telegram cannot overcome its inherent fatal flaws. It should be avoided at all costs.
All aspects considered, Signal is the clear winner here. Its encryption protocol has become an industry standard and its privacy policy is thorough and user-friendly. Recruiting your inner-circle to the service may be a chore, however. In that case, steer clear of Telegram. It’s an insecure chat entity disguised as an encrypted messaging app. If you need a Signal alternative, WhatsApp is a suitable backup, but not without its caveats.
It should be noted that WhatsApp’s encryption protects your messages as they travel over the internet, but doesn’t extend to how your messages are stored. Such storage relies on your phone’s built-in encryption. And if you use cloud services to backup your phone, your WhatsApp messages will be in the hands of your provider, so tread carefully. This isn’t an issue with Signal because the contents of your Signal messages are never included in device backups.
Remember, encrypted messaging is essential for private texting, but it only covers one aspect of internet use. To encrypt the remaining aspects of your online activity, a VPN
is a necessity.
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