I like social media platforms like Facebook and twitter to keep up with life, friends, and the world. I also like the simplicity of messaging services/apps like ICQ, Skype, Facebook messenger, WhatsApp. In exchange for their convenient service, I exchange the convenience for an increasing amount of data that the companies then use for advertisements (or possibly worse.) I’m not entirely against this exchange, some way the services have to make money in the system we live in, but the way I – and probably most people – handle my data is bordering on negligence. The companies often even have potential access to the content of our messages. In general, it would probably be a good idea to have a messaging tool that doesn’t belong to one of the massive corporations.
This is where Threema comes in.
Today, as the news story broke that Facebook bought WhatApps for a gazillion dollars, I finally followed the links some of the more careful twitterers in my timeline posted, and they lead me to Threema. Threema is a messaging app similar to WhatsApp, with a few important differences: Threema is a Switzerland-based company and, most importantly, fairly secure. They offer end-to-end encryption of the data sent to your contacts, so there should be no way the company can read your content. It has most of the features of WhatsApp with none of the big flaws. I even think it looks better than WhatsApp.
The only flaw so far: Too few people use it. These messaging apps really only make sense if a large number of your friends/colleagues/acquaintances/family/friendly Internet people use them, too. This critical mass, or rather lack thereof, are the reason why I’m not only on Twitter. Or not only on Diaspora. Why I’m no longer active on ICQ. A superior way of transmitting information is useless if you have no one to transmit to. That’s the big crux.
I really think Threema deserves a chance. So check the program out, it’s on iOS and Android. It’s not free, but costs less than a small coffee at the local bakery.
SeeRead you there.
Update: As someone on twitter pointed out, there is no way to confirm whether Threema really does secure end-to-end encryption. Or at least I can’t. Since I have so few contacts on the app, I haven’t tested the app heavily yet. Please note: As with most posts on this teeny-tiny personal blog, this is me thinking aloud about personal impressions.
Never take anyone’s word as gospel.
Thoughts?