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BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

birdy.chat

41–50 of 517 posts

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#41
post #10

How does this work with end to end encryption? Just out of curiosity

Sorry to be "that guy", because I don't know the details of how WhatsApp does E2EE, but in any proper (as in secure and private) implementation the only thing that should matter is whether the client follows the spec? You might as well ask, how does $browser work with HTTPS?

I think the suspicion is based on this app being offered in a region whose government is hostile to privacy and this implementation being connected with the strong nativist bent in Europe.

The "spec" is not relevant in any way because we have no idea what else is going on. Why was it relevant that these operators must specifically be in the EU? Everyone is just complying with the global spec...but the app provider must be in Europe...okay.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#42
post #10

How does this work with end to end encryption? Just out of curiosity

Sorry to be "that guy", because I don't know the details of how WhatsApp does E2EE, but in any proper (as in secure and private) implementation the only thing that should matter is whether the client follows the spec? You might as well ask, how does $browser work with HTTPS?

That's not what OP is asking, he's asking how do you have two separate e2e encrypted apps that can interact.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#43

As a European, I would like to know in _which_ European country you're based. I think I know all of them, people from abroad might not. Saying "Made in Europe" is too general for my European liking. ;)

https://www.birdy.chat/terms says Latvia

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#45

As a European, I would like to know in _which_ European country you're based. I think I know all of them, people from abroad might not. Saying "Made in Europe" is too general for my European liking. ;)

The company of the website appears to be based in Riga, Latvia https://company.lursoft.lv/en/fyello-productivity/4020345542...

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#47
post #10

How does this work with end to end encryption? Just out of curiosity

Sorry to be "that guy", because I don't know the details of how WhatsApp does E2EE, but in any proper (as in secure and private) implementation the only thing that should matter is whether the client follows the spec? You might as well ask, how does $browser work with HTTPS?

I can confirm that you don't know.

I can count 3 mistakes here:

1- The client isn't the only thing that matters (There's servers)

2- The client doesn't follow a spec in WhatsApp, there is no spec as it's a private non-interoperable system.

3- Browsers and HTTPS work with an entirely different encryption model, TLS is asymmetric, certificate based and domain based. TLS may be used in Whatsapp to some extent, but it's not the main encryption tool.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#48
post #7

This is pretty amazing, but I wish they picked a better name for it. I have a feeling that a good amount of people will dismiss it just because of the name.

What's wrong with the name? "WhatsApp" sounds pretty dumb to me, too, but it's entrenched in the social consciousness, so we don't really think about it.

(The name even has nothing to do with chat; originally WhatsApp was a way to share your "current status"; "WhatsApp" sounds like "what's up?".)

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#49

As a European, I would like to know in _which_ European country you're based. I think I know all of them, people from abroad might not. Saying "Made in Europe" is too general for my European liking. ;)

I thought the same thing.

I also don't think there's such a thing as "made in Europe", as if it was "made in USA". Is it made in Germany, Italy, Albania..?

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#50
post #7

This is pretty amazing, but I wish they picked a better name for it. I have a feeling that a good amount of people will dismiss it just because of the name.

What's wrong with the name? Some cultural reference I'm not getting?

Twitter. Also it could mean penis (in some places).
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