Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

gitlab.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 102 posts

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#51

Post by 3np »

BeatLeJuce wrote: post #42
m-p-3 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And Signal forces you to use your phone number as your identifier, which can be traced relatively easily to a person or at least a geographical position by the authorities. The content of the message might be encrypted, but metadata can provide valuable intelligence insights. At least Matrix can be used mostly anonymously through a user-generated identifier, without an email address or phone number, and can be used t…

I recently changed my mind on this: being able to use phone numbers as identifiers also has some benefits: Last time I was on vacation, it was easy to get in touch with service providers (e.g. surf school, massage place) via WhatsApp, simply because I had their number, and everyone used WhatsApp anyways. If Signal would be more popular, I could instead contact them directly via Signal, since I only need their phone n…

Matrix still has 3pids, including phone number and email.

The most common client, Element, will by default ask you for your phone number when registering with the default matrix.org homeserver and the default vector.im identity server will associate your phone number with your matrix user.

So by default (changing servers and/or opting out is easy and encouraged BTW), Matrix already works like you would prefer.

This is BTW a main critique in the OP since it makes vector.im a PII and metadata aggregator.

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#52

Post by geraltofrivia »

southerntofu wrote: post #15
geraltofrivia wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, you could. How many people do? I don't. I could. But that doesn't solve my problem with Tox. I use IM apps to keep in touch with people in my social circle. I've been coercing a lot of my close friends to switch to Matrix (I use the word "element" because they're not tech savy and I don't want them to be too off-put), and some of them actually do. If Tox does not have an app on iOS store, that, as of now, makes…

> If Tox does not have an app on iOS store, that, as of now, makes it impossible for me to suggest it to approx. 60% of my friends If iOS does not allow 3rd party programs on "their" phones (or GPL'ed software on their "store"), that, as of now, makes it impossible for me to suggest it to 100% of my friends. It's easy to shift the blame on volunteer developers when you have a multi-billion corporation making their li…

> iOS does not allow 3rd party programs [ ... ] or GPL'ed software ...

I one hundred percent agree that not allowing GPL software on the store is problematic. I am still torn on whether not allowing 3rd party programs on their store is problematic or not. As a person on HN, of course I would LOVE if they did allow third party stores/downloading application distributables and executing them.

But considering the innovative nature of malware/spyware and the tech-illiteracy of my mother, I can't help but feel if she isn't better off on a platform where applications go through _some_ form of human verification, and a random pop up on some random website would not end in her details being leaked/accounts being hacked/phone being bricked?

> iPhones are non-existent in my social circles

That's a fair point. Developing one less app would make the turn around time for the rest of the stuff faster for the supported platforms. At some point of time though, the folks behind Tox would need to min-max this out for optimal availability and usability.

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#54

Post by hansel_der »

BeatLeJuce wrote: post #42
m-p-3 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And Signal forces you to use your phone number as your identifier, which can be traced relatively easily to a person or at least a geographical position by the authorities. The content of the message might be encrypted, but metadata can provide valuable intelligence insights. At least Matrix can be used mostly anonymously through a user-generated identifier, without an email address or phone number, and can be used t…

I recently changed my mind on this: being able to use phone numbers as identifiers also has some benefits: Last time I was on vacation, it was easy to get in touch with service providers (e.g. surf school, massage place) via WhatsApp, simply because I had their number, and everyone used WhatsApp anyways. If Signal would be more popular, I could instead contact them directly via Signal, since I only need their phone n…

> being able to use phone numbers as identifiers also has some benefits

of course it has, but so has the ability to NOT use a phone number. different use cases

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#55

Post by hansel_der »

kown7 wrote: post #35
EGreg wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In terms of closed centralized services, I’d say Telegram is my top pick, followed by Signal. But I would take open source decentralized networks over them anyday, and my favorite is Freenet, or the much newer network, MaidSAFE because it is the most secure thing I have ever seen (but that’s not mainstream yet).

I don't see the allure of Telegram over anything; can you elaborate?

it works very well on every device/os and can easily be extended

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#56

Post by hansel_der »

forgotmypw17 wrote: post #7
akvadrako wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never heard of Tox, but it doesn't even have an iOS client. That's a good reason to ignore it.

Is that like ignoring something because it doesn't have an AOL keyword?

no, it is ignoring a communcation service that probably (acording to market share) half of your contacts cannot use

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#57

Post by colordrops »

vorejdajo wrote: post #18
rglullis wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know it is going to sound like an ad-hominem, but once I realized that this is from the same person behind the "Grid protocol", I immediately closed the tab. This guy seems to be on a quixotic vendetta against msxid. It is the third or fourth persona (first it was from a personal account, then from his company, now he has even a non-profit advocating for privacy) that he created to re-hash the same old, outdated an…

It is ad-hominem and bias

Is pointing out conflict of interest and hominem?

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#58

Post by spurgu »

m-p-3 wrote: post #34
fsflover wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately Signal is a walled garden actively fighting against alternative clients and servers. This is enough for me to avoid it and recommend Matrix. If you feel that those issues are critical, please donate your money or time to solve them.

And Signal forces you to use your phone number as your identifier, which can be traced relatively easily to a person or at least a geographical position by the authorities. The content of the message might be encrypted, but metadata can provide valuable intelligence insights. At least Matrix can be used mostly anonymously through a user-generated identifier, without an email address or phone number, and can be used t…

> The content of the message might be encrypted, but metadata can provide valuable intelligence insights.

What metadata? Signal doesn't store anything about you aside the date you joined and the time of your last ping.

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#59

Post by spurgu »

rglullis wrote: post #8
dijit wrote: post #3

I'm of two minds when it comes to reports like this. On the one hand, of course I love that people have the means to audit assumptions. Both the ability to do so w.r.t the project being transparent and open, but also through time and technical ability. I am, however, a little upset when people poke at minor issues (that they themselves see as minor) and speak at length about them. *not* because those issues should no…

I know it is going to sound like an ad-hominem, but once I realized that this is from the same person behind the "Grid protocol", I immediately closed the tab. This guy seems to be on a quixotic vendetta against msxid. It is the third or fourth persona (first it was from a personal account, then from his company, now he has even a non-profit advocating for privacy) that he created to re-hash the same old, outdated an…

I don't get this kind of thinking? How does the why of what he's saying influence the what? Or even worse, disqualify it? If it's factually correct then the reason behind writing it seems quite irrelevant, to me at least.

And you're mentioning it's outdated, which would be natural given that the last commit was over two years ago.

Re: Notes on privacy and data collection of Matrix.org (2019)

#60

Post by this_user »

XorNot wrote: post #41
EGreg wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In terms of closed centralized services, I’d say Telegram is my top pick, followed by Signal. But I would take open source decentralized networks over them anyday, and my favorite is Freenet, or the much newer network, MaidSAFE because it is the most secure thing I have ever seen (but that’s not mainstream yet).

Telegram is not encrypted E2E by default at all.

And the encryption they are offering is custom, which is always at least suspect.
Post reply on HN