MakerFLOSS/docs/møder/2026-05-11_messaging-presentation.md

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Messaging Without Big Tech

Free & Open Alternatives to WhatsApp and Messenger

MakerFLOSS · May 2026

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Why Are We Here?

Most people use WhatsApp, Messenger, or iMessage.

• WhatsApp — owned by Meta; metadata harvested
• Messenger — no E2EE by default in groups; ad tracking
• Telegram — not E2EE by default; closed server
• iMessage — Apple lock-in; no Android or Linux

These apps are convenient — but the cost is your data.

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Wish-list

Property	Why it matters
End-to-end encryption	Only sender and recipient can read messages
Open source	Anyone can audit the code
Self-hostable	You control the server and the data
No phone number required	Less identity linkage
Cross-platform	Linux, Android, iOS, Windows
Federated / decentralized	No single point of failure or control

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The Landscape at a Glance

App	E2EE	Open source	Self-host	No phone#	Federation
Signal	✓	Partial	✗	✗	✗
Matrix / Element	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
XMPP + OMEMO	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Briar	✓	✓	N/A	✓	N/A
Session	✓	✓	Partial	✓	Partial

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Signal — The Gold Standard for E2EE

Non-profit Signal Foundation. The Signal Protocol powers WhatsApp, Google RCS, and Messenger secret chats.

Pros

• Simplest UX — works like a normal messaging app
• Audited, battle-tested cryptography; no ads, no tracking

Cons

• Phone number required — links identity to account
• Centralized — Signal's servers, Signal's rules

Best for: journalists, activists, everyday secure messaging

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Signal — Under the Hood

Alice's phone                 Signal Server              Bob's phone
─────────────                 ─────────────              ──────────
[message] ──encrypt(Bob)───▶ [stores ciphertext] ──────▶ decrypt ──▶ [message]

• Server sees: who talks to whom, when, how often
• Server does not see: message content
• Metadata still matters — Signal subpoena responses

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Matrix — The Federated Open Standard

Matrix is a protocol, not an app — like email for real-time chat.

[your homeserver]  ←──federation──▶  [another homeserver]
        ▲                                      ▲
   Element client                        FluffyChat client

• Servers: Synapse (Python), Conduit (Rust), Dendrite (Go)
• Clients: Element, FluffyChat, Cinny, Fractal, Nheko
• Bridges: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, IRC, Discord…

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Matrix — Pros and Cons

Pros

• Fully open source, top to bottom
• Self-host your server — you own your data
• Federated — no single company controls the network
• Bridges consolidate all your chats in one place

Cons

• E2EE key management is clunky (cross-signing, key backup)
• Synapse is resource-hungry (~1 GB RAM)
• The UX of Element is still maturing

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Matrix — Why It's Interesting for MakerFLOSS

We could run matrix.makerfloss.eu on our existing VPS.

• Full control over our community chat
• Bridges to reach people still on WhatsApp or Messenger
• A playground for self-hosted infrastructure
• Federated — members can also use matrix.org or personal servers
• ~500 MB RAM with Conduit (lighter than Synapse)

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Matrix Bridges — Stay Connected During the Transition

A bridge relays messages between Matrix and another network — both ways.

Bridge	Network	Notes
mautrix-whatsapp	WhatsApp	Puppeting — your real WA account
mautrix-telegram	Telegram	Puppeting — very stable
mautrix-signal	Signal	Fragile — Signal actively breaks 3rd-party
meshtastic-matrix-relay	Meshtastic	LoRa mesh ↔ Matrix — off-grid messaging

Catch: Puppeting bridges hold your credentials. WhatsApp's ToS prohibits it — occasional bans occur.

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XMPP (Jabber)

The original federated chat standard — 1999. Still alive and kicking.

• Extremely mature and lightweight
• E2EE via OMEMO
• Good clients: Conversations (Android), Monal (iOS/macOS), Gajim (desktop)
• Con: fragmented client quality; less beginner-friendly than Signal or Matrix

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Briar

Peer-to-peer messaging — no server at all.

• Works over Tor, local WiFi, or Bluetooth (offline!)
• Censorship-resistant by design
• Con: Android-first; no desktop client; both parties must be online to first connect

For: activists, disaster scenarios, high-censorship environments

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Participation — Let's Talk

Round 1: Your current situation (2 min, pairs)

• What messenger do you use most, and why?
• Is there anything about it that bothers you?

Round 2: Barriers (group discussion)

• What's the hardest part of switching or convincing others?
• "But all my friends are on WhatsApp" — how do you handle it?

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Participation — Try It Now

Option A — Signal Install Signal, register with your phone number, message the person next to you.

Option B — Matrix (web) Open app.element.io, create an account on matrix.org, join #makerfloss:matrix.org.

Option C — Discussion Should MakerFLOSS run a Matrix homeserver?

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Resources

Resource	Link
Signal	signal.org
Element client	element.io
Matrix spec	spec.matrix.org
Conduit server	conduit.rs
Briar	briarproject.org
Privacy Guides	privacyguides.org/…/real-time-communication
meshtastic-matrix-relay	github.com/geoffwhittington/meshtastic-matrix-relay

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Summary

• Signal: easiest switch, best UX, E2EE by default — but centralized, requires phone number
• Matrix: most aligned with FLOSS values, self-hostable, federated — but more complex
• XMPP: the old guard, still solid for the technically inclined
• Briar: for extreme scenarios — no infrastructure needed

The best alternative is the one people will actually use.

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Questions?

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