The fact that you can just log in with someone's npub and see who, when, and how much they're messaging is pretty creepy.
Discussion
Yeah that’s the part that sucks- I wonder if there is another way to do it
I think maybe it's just taking your DMs off the protocol into things like SimpleX, Signal, or even encrypted, private email.
The solution is flooding. Every time you send a DM, also DM 20 random strangers. Signal will drown in the noise.
Hmm not a bad idea, kind of like a coin join but for messages
Exactly. Send the actual payload, then junk to other people. To facilitate, the junk could even be flagged (in the encrypted payload) as such so the recipients’ client software knows to ignore it.
Also fine to send junk to sock puppets. Have the sock puppets send junk back, and amongst themselves, etc.
The reason the metadata attack works right now is because all messages are signal. Drowning that signal in noise would not be difficult, in principle.