The Big O Community

Why Use XMPP over WhatsApp?

Author: Atul Raj

Date Created: Dec. 24, 2023

Date Modified: Dec. 24, 2023

Tags:
General Awareness
Open Source
Free Your Phone
Liberate Your Laptop

Why Use XMPP over WhatsApp?

Whatsapp is an Instant messaging application by Meta.

Meta is a parent company of Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Threads. It is a surveillance engine which tracks users in their platform and also beyond it.

Whatsapp uses phone number as it's registration medium.

Alert 1: Phone Number

Whatsapp has integrated business, communities, channels to it's platform, this makes our phone number available to all of them.

It also exposes phone numbers to spammers and impersonaters. What can happen if your phone number is in the wrong hands.

Whatsapp's Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy.

Alert 2: Data collection and surveillance.

Being a subsidiary of Meta, Whatsapp collects all the metadata about you and collects all the chats with

  1. Businesses for analytical purposes.
  2. Advertiser for better targetted ads.

Collection includes

All this data is used to create a virtual profile for better targetted ads and manipulation.

When a company knows about you this much it becomes very easy to manipulate it's users.

Cambridge Analytica Scandal

Centralized Architecture

Alert 3: Single point of failure.

Whatsapp is centralized application which means only Meta controls the servers and it gives all the power to Meta for all the connections, clients and user data.

Which further restricts it's clients to use only the services provided by Meta and reduces user freedom. If Whatsapp goes down all the connections to your friends, family, business, educational institutions will go down too. Though it isn't likely because Meta is selling our data and getting paid for running highly reliable data center.

End to End Encrypted, Maybe?

Alert 4: Not a Free and Open Source Software.

With the source code of Whatsapp being propreitary meaning only Meta can access it. This makes it harder for us to beleive what Meta claims about it's E2EE algorithms.

We just have to take thier words for it. Before 2016 there was no encryption in Whatsapp and no, end-to-end encryption does not prevent Facebook from accessing WhatsApp chats.

Why WhatsApp Will Never Be Secure

Whatsapp is free of cost.

 

 

 

eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol

 

XMPP is an Instant messaging standard used by Whatsapp, many games, Google, Firebase, Internet of Things.

 

Just like email, no matter what mail provider you are using I can send you mail. I don't have to be the user of same mail provider like you do.

I just need you email address and we can communicate.

XMPP also has an address called XMPP-ID / Jabber-ID, which you can share to any other XMPP user and can communicate.

You can:

  1. Instant message.
  2. Audio/Video call.
  3. File sharing.
  4. Create Groups / Channels.

 

Benefit 1: XMPP does not require a phone number.

  1. You can register to any XMPP server.

  2. Create your username a custom / psuedo or your real name you have freedom of choice.

  3. You will have an XMPP-ID and a password.

  4. Use these credentials in any platform you feel comfortable.

Here is the list of XMPP providers and here too.

Benefit 2: XMPP is Free and Open Source Software.

XMPP protocol, the servers using XMPP and the clients are all Free Software give users the 4 freedoms. Freedom to run, study, modify, re-distribute. It respects user's freedom and privacy.

 

Benefit 3: XMPP is decentralized.

Meaning there is no central server, or single point of failure in this type of network.

Anyone can run their XMPP server and start using it personally even You. In a way, you will be creating your own small Whatsapp.

These XMPP providers does not sell user data, does not surveil on their clients.

Benefit 4: XMPP is End to End Encrypted using OMEMO.

OMEMO is the encryption algorithm used to encrypt messages between the clients.

Read more.

How to get started?

  1. Choose a server from here and here.

  2. Every provider will have different UI, you have to create an account there.

2. Register on that server.

  1. Choose a client applicaiton from here.

Reccommended XMPP clients:

  1. Android -> Monocles Chat
  2. IOS -> Monal.im
  3. GNU/Linux -> Dino.im, Gajim
  4. Windows -> Gajim
  5. MacOS -> Beagle, Monal.im
  1. Sign in using the credentials created on step 2.
  2. Start your conversations by share your new XMPP address.

 

XMPP servers and clients are not free of cost, most of them are open for donations. But we can use them and if we are able, can donate them too.

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