Many folks probably have not thought of it this way, but taking selfies and sending them out on a regular basis can threaten one's privacy. When a selfie is taken and sent to friends, families, and whoever else on the other line, it needs to pass through the servers of the mobile network operator, or a home broadband operator. It means that anyone with the right skills could gain access to those pictures.
For years, the most powerful social networks on the web have claimed that their server backends are safe, but that is not truly the case. According to earlier reports, both Facebook and Google could be practicing data mining where bots go through the send and receive messages from users to provide better advertisement. This doesn't necessarily mean real persons at these companies are looking through private material, but it comes very close, and could very well happen.
With that in mind, can one protect himself and his online shenanigans from folks in expensive suits and ties who just want to make a quick buck? Can one accomplish this by using other means of communication instead?
Yes, and that is exactly what we're on about; it is time to use a different messaging platform that claims to be more secure than the others. We use the word claim because nothing is sure these days when it comes down to technology, but at least these seem more trustworthy.
This app is perfect for folks who do not want to leave Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts. It offers an extra layer of security that should keep your most private conversations away from prying eyes, whether it be humans or bots. The app uses a method known as off the record encryption, which is the same method used by other platforms such as Pidgin and Jitsi.
For ChatSecure to fully secure your conversations, the person on the other end must be using ChatSecure as well. If they are using Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts, then things will go ahead as normal.
ChatSecure is available for both Android and iOS
Another messaging app available on Android and iOS is Signal. With this one, there is no option to use Facebook Messenger and or Google Hangouts. Users must use the built-in messenger client, and like all the others, folks can send videos and photos whenever they want. It's encrypted to protect data, but that's not all. With Signal, users can make long distance calls over Wi-Fi or 4G data, and guess what? Even that is encrypted.
Who would have thought that iMessage was one of the apps to make this list? If all the folks in your group use an iPhone, then you can be sure all messages, videos, and images you send are encrypted for maximum data protection. According to the giant from Silicon Valley, it uses end-end encryption to make iMessage one of the most secure messenger platforms available right now.
The company also said that iMessage is not capable of reading your messages, so it is useless to law enforcement officers who might be interested in prying.
Overall, we recommend these apps wholeheartedly because security is critical on the web. We must ensure that our private data doesn't end up in the hands of the wrong crowd. Seeing celebrities' unwanted leaked nude photos scattering around the internet should be enough to understand why one must practice safety on the web.
