"Encryption is a tool for thought.

Most people say, 'I trust Google. Google's really big, almost too big to fail, and they've got some of the best engineers in the world. I'm not worried necessarily that my data will leak.' But what you should be worried about is the effect on quality that non-encrypted platforms have on your thinking.

... You'll find that the way you talk on Discord is probably different from the way you talk on Signal. On Discord, even if you're privately DMing with someone, you always have that thought or fear in the back of your mind that what you say here can be, theoretically, resurfaced by someone who's not really authorized to see this message. And that changes how you talk, it changes how you think.

Whereas on Signal, because it has really hardcore privacy and security and you can auto-delete messages, you find that you're able to be your true self. And you're much more creative, much more witty, much more thoughtful..

The software you use dictates your culture. Your mind's culture.

... This is an aspect of privacy that most people don't really consider. You definitely give up a piece of yourself when you don't use encrypted and private platforms."

—Mo, creator of Standard Notes