Privacy

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How to persuade people around me switch to Matrix/Element? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hello fellow c/privacy members.

I'm not new to privacy related things but I had a hard time persuading my family members and friends to switch to Matrix/Element. It is a reponse to UK's Online Security Bill and Investigative Powers Act that may soon in effect.

While it is just a preperation and planning in case those actually became law, I already face resistance from them. When I ask them would they switch, their first reaction is "Why one more app?" then follows with "That's cumbersome." or "I don't want to learn a new app." and suggest something more popular like Line, Telegram or Discord. Sometimes they would "Install WhatsApp because X is on there and he/she won't install one more app just for you."

What can I do to persuade them to use a new platform? Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I think I should elebroate more of what Online Security Bill and Investigative Powers Act does[1]. As far as I understand, OSB will break E2EE by require scanning data on client device, like CSAM but much more generic. IPA requires companies to submit security funcition to the government for approval before releasing, and disable such feature upon request. Apple[2], Single[3] and WhatsApp made the announancment of exiting the UK market totally or partically if two were signed into law.

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/thenextweb.com/news/uk-investigatory-powers-act-default-surveillance-devices-privacy
[2] https://web.archive.org/web/www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2023/07/21/apple-threatens-to-pull-facetime-and-imessage-from-the-uk
[3] https://web.archive.org/web/20230809125823/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-65301510#2023-08-09T12:57:48+00:00

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I guess I can just remove such code if they ever implement it as the home server is open sourced (Synapse). Plus other implementation exists (Conduit). Still, I will have to look on XMPP and see if it meets my needs. As others points out, I shouldn't persuade but adapt thus I need bridges to connect other services, which Matrix doesn't lack in.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

XMPP has very nice bridges as well: https://joinjabber.org/tutorials/gateways/slidge/

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I preferred xmpp because it's easier to host and consumes MUCH less RAM than a Matrix server. idk how both of them scale, but I only have myself and a few friends and family on my XMPP server and works fine.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Lemme know when there's an actual usable client for XMPP. What software do you even use to connect to XMPP?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I use Gajim, family uses Conversations.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Conversations looks like it was made for Android kit Kat lol. Are you expecting that to be the messaging app killer as a serious recommendation to people

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What do you mean? It lacks critical features?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

What?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I had a look of the screenshots and don't think the design is out of the ordinary. I don't need a "messaging app killer" but a functional, secure, and private "chat platform". XMPP with OMEMO looks quite good for me.