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BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

birdy.chat

181–190 of 517 posts

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

#181
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Yep. And apparently the answer is they both use the Signal Protocol.

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

#182

It would have been more effective to require Meta (and all other messaging companies) to implement an open protocol or open source theirs, so that people can freely write alternative clients free of malware.

The sky might as well rains toads before this happens.

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

#183

That name isn't that great ... WhatsApp is not a great name either, but catchy and somewhat simple. BirdyPo.. I mean BirdyChat sounds like when doves cry. But not as catchy. Also, I am all in favour of Europeans becoming less dependent on the USA (yet-another-ICE-killing incident today, with video footage contradicting the claims made by the current government - again), but there is kind of ... a weak decision-making…

>still external companies that will hand over data from europeans

The idea here is that EU three letter agencies also have access to your data

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

#184
post #40

Exciting news! Can't wait for iMessage to open up too. Any idea if this (or other future messengers) will work outside of Europe too or does WhatsApp use some kind of geofencing, like Apple, to prevent non-EU citizens from enjoying the same rights too?

But iMessage is already open? You can send an SMS to any number and it shows in iMessage, completely interoperable through that standard protocol. Whatsapp on the other hand does not show SMS messages (Which is a design choice that makes sense from a security perspective I guess, not saying it's wrong.)

> But iMessage is already open?

How do you send/receive messages from a Windows system? My guess is that you think iMessage is SMS-only.

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

#185
post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Give them some time to cook How long? I'm still waiting for the GDPR to actually be enforced meaningfully.

You can get some really hefty fines for not playing by the rules. It's taken extremely seriously in basically every aspect of life in Europe. It's not enforced hard enough against US company empires like meta and the like unfortunately, but it absolutely works.

Can != will.

> It's taken extremely seriously in basically every aspect of life in Europe

Yeah, like every single cookie banner out there not actually being compliant. A regulation can't be considered to be meaningfully enforced when every single storefront openly breaches it in total impunity for years.

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

#186
post #183

That name isn't that great ... WhatsApp is not a great name either, but catchy and somewhat simple. BirdyPo.. I mean BirdyChat sounds like when doves cry. But not as catchy. Also, I am all in favour of Europeans becoming less dependent on the USA (yet-another-ICE-killing incident today, with video footage contradicting the claims made by the current government - again), but there is kind of ... a weak decision-making…

>still external companies that will hand over data from europeans The idea here is that EU three letter agencies also have access to your data

I’d rather have my data accessed by eu agencies than USA ones. Seeing how this country is turning more and more into a fascist oligarchy.

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

#187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Give them some time to cook How long? I'm still waiting for the GDPR to actually be enforced meaningfully.

How is it not enforced "meaningfully"? (I don't know what is meaningful to you)

Here's a good overview: https://noyb.eu/en/data-protection-day-are-europeans-really-...

It's several years old by now but nothing has changed. It is still more profitable to breach the GDPR than to comply with it.

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

#188
post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Give them some time to cook How long? I'm still waiting for the GDPR to actually be enforced meaningfully.

You can get some really hefty fines for not playing by the rules. It's taken extremely seriously in basically every aspect of life in Europe. It's not enforced hard enough against US company empires like meta and the like unfortunately, but it absolutely works.

Yeah... Ask Schrems about the hefty fines and all that pretty things bright to Europeans by the GDPR. Come on! The GDPR is at best a pretty face to a rotten nothing-burger.

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

#189

It would have been more effective to require Meta (and all other messaging companies) to implement an open protocol or open source theirs, so that people can freely write alternative clients free of malware.

Doesn't Whatsapp already use an open source protocol? https://signal.org/blog/whatsapp-complete/

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

#190

> With the new WhatsApp interface mandated by the DMA, any BirdyChat user in the EEA will be able to start a chat with any WhatsApp user in the region simply by knowing their phone number. Unfortunately, as it's been implemented as opt-in on WhatsApp's side, this isn't really true. Honestly that decision alone means it's kinda dead in the water.

> any WhatsApp user in the region The regional limit makes it pretty much useless. The only reason I keep a whatsapp account is to stay in touch with my family in law and a few relatives who live in another continent.

>The regional limit makes it pretty much useless.

Sounds like an easy fix. Europe just has to convince the rest of the world to ditch the 15 year old popular US apps ingrained in pop culture and with network effects, and have them switch to their own EU made apps, this way we can all communicate together. :hugs: Until then, let's keep chatting on $US_APP so we can debate on how we're gonna achieve that switch.

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