The MOST PRIVATE Messaging Apps

Seeing as we do a huge amount of our communicating via messaging services these days, it's important to know what information we giving out, and to whom.
There are many messaging apps that bill themselves as being "private", but which ones actually are?

We dig into Whatsapp, iMessage, Telegram, Signal, Session, Threema, Wire, and Matrix to tell you what's what. (TLDR: Not all of these "privacy apps" are actually private!!!)

00:00 What to look for in a Private Messaging App
00:55 WhatsApp
02:17 Telegram
04:32 Apple's iMessage
06:02 Signal
09:52 Session
10:17 Threema
10:57 Matrix
11:47 Wickr
11:51 Wire
12:44 Conclusions

Written by Reuben Yap, C. Edward Kelso, and Naomi Brockwell
Special thanks to Kieran Mesquita and Andy for their help with research
Edited by Lee Rennie

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Our eBook "Beginner's Introduction To Privacy:

Beware of scammers, I will never give you a phone number or reach out to you with investment advice. I do not give investment advice.

Watch on Odysee:

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Here are a bunch of products I like and use. Using these links helps support the channel and future videos!

Recommended Books:

Beginner's Introduction To Privacy - Naomi Brockwell

Permanent Record - Edward Snowden

What has the government done to our money - Rothbard

Extreme Privacy - Michael Bazzel (The best privacy book I've ever read)

No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State - Glenn Greenwald

Some of my favorite products to help protect your privacy!

Faraday bag (signal stopping, to protect your fob, credit card, computer, and phone)

Data Blocker (if you're charging your phone in an unknown port, use this so that no data is transferred)

Camera tape (electrical tape is the best tape for covering phone and computer cameras)

USB-C to ethernet adapter:

Privacy Screens (use your phone and computer in public? Keep your information safe!)

Computer: (Search for the size right for your computer)

Phone: (Search for the size for your phone, decide whether you want glass or plastic!)

[sofort]

Anything associated with facebook should be considered as malware and spyware by default.

[jamestien]

This channel deserves at least a million subscribers. Naomi's videos are always informative and entertaining, love those funny catches.

[davidbundesen]

I use Signal. But as you stated, it can be difficult to convince others to download and use the platform. That has, for me, been the toughest part of private messaging.

[noyb]

If its not open source, then none of the other stuff matters. It's just marketing.

[IoDavide]

In 1983, when I bought my first pc, whe starter to talk about the right way to manage encription and password.
40 years seem blown away...

[hardridermotorcycle]

Naomi, you are my fav channel to watch. Great information, but you deliver like 1000%. An amazing treat... hooked :)

[CochinKerala]

Jack Dorsey praising Signal. Oh, the hypocrisy.

[necro_nemesis]

Session's decentralized approach for the long run win.

[cheryls_creative]

Thanks for this! I recently switched to signal but trying to get my friends to do the same is proving difficult. I’m sending them the link to this video! Perhaps then they’ll get it :) I really think people should be more aware than they appear to be.

[tobybartlett]

Simple, short and informative. Thanks Naomi!

[harryvanhoo]

Thank you Naomi, a really thorough explanation along with clarity and useful brevity.

[saintallnights]

You are very good.

The two videos of yours I just watched will be invaluable and have kind of a poetic justice as I'm one of the most monitored and shadow banned people on the planet.

[ruthlongridge]

Interesting, thanks. What I learned from this: 1. The smaller my digital footprint, the better. 2. There is a false notion that your choices drive the market and that this is the only control you have of how this all goes. 3. I am right not to use a smartphone and/or apps. 4. the future - in a sane world - would be analogue

[zackdoc]

great information....it doesn't hurt that you're lovely as well. Thanks Naomi!

[MostlyInteresting]

The handy part of signal I find is the desk top program. So I dont have to use the phone when I am on the PC. Makes sending pics and links easy peasy.

[hourtourist]

You completely forgot Briar, it has all the requirements and it is trusted by journalists in conflict zones. No centralized server, open source, no identifiable personal data and NO phone number required. All its comms are routed through Tor. Without it the rest of the world would not know what is going on in Madagascar, in Haiti, in Myanmar, in South Africa, in Cuba, in Ethiopia, in Afghanistan, China or in Nigeria. Even Mohammad IV of Morocco trembles at the thought of Briar. 😅

[aryehyehudahajzenberg]

Absolutely excellent video ! I enjoyed it and learned from it a lot !
Thank you very much and may God bless you always !

[johnmknox]

I am one of the ones that dumped WhatsApp and switched to Signal but nobody I know uses it they prefer giving all their info to Zuck!

[pouriaghafel]

Great video. Thank you so much, Naomi.

[ziguirayou]

WhatsApp problem was never the tech, but the untrustworthy parent company. If you trust someone with Mark's track record, you deserve to be screwed. Same with Apple. Common people, use your brains!