Why would anyone rec signal over SimpleX for secure E2EE messaging? 🤔
Simplex registration style offers the most robust system for fully anonymized identity
Why the lies?
Discussion
I'm not an expert, and I don't have a strong opinion on the topic, but I use both.
Signal is good for onboarding normies to secure chat. It's easy to set up and use. A few easy changes in the settings reduce my main concerns over phone numbers and privacy issues. And, normies have probably heard about it.
I like SimpleX. I think one thing that attracts me to it from a secuity standpoint is you can run your own server. Unfortunately, the only "easy" way I know to do this requires ToR, which excludes all normies and probably myself, as Orbot tanks my phone battery.
That’s definitely a fair approach, but phone numbers really just kill it for me. Also, one time when I had signal in beta my (now) ex and his ex registered at the same time and that’s how I found out he was a cheater because it notified me that they both joined
Gotcha. The phone number thing is a pain. Phone number is directly linked to real ID for most people. And, we know that metadata analysis is all they need to track us and who we talk to, even if they don't know what is said.
In the last few updates to Signal you can choose to be identified by a user-determined handle instead of phone number, and also choose to be only discoverable to your contacts or by no one (invite link only). Still have to sign up with your PN, though :/
I don't know if any of this matters if you are using a SIM card, though. This is where my knowledge hits a wall. Is IMEI broadcast to cell towers doxing everyone using a SIM?
Well, I guess a non-anon SIM. Network analysis probably can still determine your ID with some statistical confidence.
Could you make this "graspable" please?
Yes, Signal uses phone numbers for registration… your phones contain IMEI numbers linked to devices registered to that number. Anything linked to your phone is tracked in unimaginable ways and it’s illegal in most places to turn it off.
Meaning, if you’re ever signing up with a phone number you’re being tracked via metadata.
SimpleX does not require phone numbers for registration and has additional ways to anonymize your comms even further if you’re just a bit tech savvy- you can also use rotational identities and 1 time QR codes to easily share links making it just as simple for normie users to navigate as phone number registration
Thank you