Secure alternatives to Facebook Messenger

The need for robust platforms that offer greater security, privacy, and functionality are more urgent than ever in 2024 as concerns over data privacy, surveillance, and censorship continue to grow.

This article explores several alternatives to popular messaging apps that empower people to communicate effectively while safeguarding their data.

Signal

Signal is widely considered the most secure messaging app available. Signal, created by Open Whisper Systems in 2014, encrypts all messages end-to-end by default, ensuring that only you and your recipient can read the messages you send and receive through the app.

On top of that Signal is open-source, which means that its code is available for review by security experts, ensuring transparency and trust. The platform also allows for group chats and multimedia sharing, making it an effective tool for organising and coordinating activities.

The app is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. 

Briar

Briar is an Android app that promises secure offline messaging without the need for mobile data or a WiFi connection. The app was created for anyone who wants to communicate securely with their friends and family. The company has put a lot more emphasis on security here, so your messages will always be private. Briar creates a mesh network by combining WiFi and Bluetooth networking to allow messages to flow.

Briar is unique in that, even if you have a working internet connection, it does not rely on a central server for syncing and instead uses the Tor network to protect users from surveillance. Briar also has a security feature that prevents you from taking screenshots, similar to Snapchat. This makes it one of the most secure messaging apps that can be used offline. If you want to prevent your offline messages from being intercepted, this is your best option.

Session 

Session is a privacy focused messaging app that protects your metadata, encrypts your communications, and makes sure your messaging activities leave no digital trail behind.

When using Session, your messages are sent to their destinations through a decentralised onion routing network similar to Tor using a system we call onion requests. Onion requests protect user privacy by ensuring that no single server ever knows a message's origin and destination.

Session's code is open-source and Session is a project of the Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation whose stated mission is to provide the world with better access to digital privacy technologies.

Element

For those looking for a decentralised alternative, Matrix is an appealing option. Matrix is an open-source protocol for secure, decentralised communication, with Element (formerly Riot.im) being the most popular client built on it. This decentralisation ensures that no single entity has control over the data, which reduces the risk of censorship and surveillance.

Matrix enables end-to-end encryption, group chats, voice and video calls, and file sharing. Its federated architecture enables activists to set up their own servers, giving them complete control over their data and communications. This level of autonomy is impressive.

The app is available for Windows, Web, Android, and iOS.

However, during our testing we ran into some server issues,  which may not be universal.