INFOGRAPHIC: TRUE PRIVATE MESSAGING - 7 APPS TO ENCRYPT YOUR CHATS

True Private Messaging: 7 Apps to Encrypt Your Chats
By KeriLynn Engel, Who Is Hosting This, 29 April 2015.

Are your text messages private and secure? Or are they vulnerable to prying eyes?

Given the news lately, it’s safe to assume they’re not.

It’s been revealed that the National Security Agency has been collecting text messages for years - up to 200 million a day. They collect everything they can from anyone they can, from phone all over the globe. Just by analyzing your text messages, they can extrapolate who you’re talking to, how often and about what, your location at any given time, and even glean information about your financial transactions.

They may even be assisted by carelessly designed apps on your smartphone. Many so-called “leaky apps” are exploited by government organizations to mine even more sensitive data about their users. A surprising number of the most popular messaging apps are insecure, as their creators put usability and features over the security and privacy of their users.

Other apps are purposely harvesting your information, taking advantage of the privileges and permissions you grant them when they’re installed. One famous example is the Facebook messaging app, which sparked a storm of controversy over all the permissions the app asked for upon installation. Since Facebook’s entire business model is built on selling your data to advertisers, why wouldn’t they try to harvest as much of it as they could with a new app?

The controversy didn’t last long, however, and millions of people decided to download the app anyway. As Facebook knows, most people don’t pay attention to the fine print, and even if they do, they’re willing to trade their right to privacy in exchange for convenience.

But what if you refuse to give up your privacy? What if you know that having “nothing to hide” is a dangerous fallacy, and understand the dangers of letting personal information fall into the wrong hands to be used against you?

If you want to protect your privacy while messaging on your smartphone, it’s vital to use a secure app. Here are the top seven apps we found that can help you protect your privacy.

Infographic Sources:
1. Wickr: Can the Snapchat for Grown-Ups Save You From Spies?
2. You can now send self-destructing Wickr messages from your computer
3. Wickr
4. Wickr - Top-Secret Messenger
5. Wickr - Meet the Team
6. How Wickr Works
7. Secure Messaging App Wickr Adds 22 Languages To Give More People A Private Voice
8. Cryptocat encryption app maker apologizes, swats bug
9. Cryptocat
10. Private chat can be easy and accessible
11. Cryptocat Aims for Easy-to-use Encrypted IM Chat
12. Cryptocat Blog
13. Encrypted Chat Service ‘Cryptocat’ released iOS app
14. Cryptocat, Now with Encrypted Facebook Chat
15. Secure Messaging Scoreboard
16. Iran Blocks Encrypted Chat Service Despite Claims of Internet Freedom
17. The results of our great messenger assay
18. The Swiss response to WhatsApp
19. The castle owner
20. Threema
21. Threema (Google Play)
22. Threema (Amazon)
23. Threema FAQ
24. Whatsapp competitor threema doubled the number of users
25. An Internet Hall Of Famer And Some Navy Seals Want To Make Your iPhone Safer
26. Vinnie Moscaritolo
27. Silent Circle Plans & Pricing
28. Silent Text
29. Philip Zimmermann
30. Idealism costs: Silent Circle announces ultra-private, ultra-expensive Blackphone
31. Android App Aims to Allow Wiretap-Proof Cell Phone Calls
32. Changing threats to privacy: Moxie Marlinspike on privacy threats at Defcon
33. Twitter Nabs The Two Guys Behind Mobile Security Startup Whisper Systems
34. Open Whisper Systems - Privacy that fits in your pocket
35. TextSecure :: Private SMS/MMS (for Android)
36. Auditors find encrypted chat client TextSecure is secure
37. A security audit reveals that TextSecure app is vulnerable to Unknown Key-Share Attack
38. Open Whisper Systems
39. Open Whisper Systems partners with WhatsApp to provide end-to-end encryption
40. Hackers Build Android Encryption Apps For Egypt
41. Surespot Encrypted Messenger
42. School of Privacy
43. Surespot
44. Surespot Encrypted Messenger (iTunes)
45. Surespot FAQ and Support
46. Meet Telegram, A Secure Messaging App From The Founders Of VK, Russia’s Largest Social Network
47. Telegram Applications
48. Telegram (Google Play)
49. Telegram Reaches 1 Billion Daily Messages
50. Can You Trust ‘Secure’ Messaging Apps?

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