BRIAR & Signal
We in todays times are more aware than ever that we are monitored by our phones from the day we buy it in store. In some countries it is even illegal to spoof your IMEI number, which begs the question WHY? It is your device, and how you use it is up to you. If you want ultimate privacy, you should have the right to that as Edward Snowden points outs.
Most social media tracks you and of course using a whatsapp, wechat and such apps are terrible. It should also be mentioned that a lot of people will praise a messaging app because it has end to end encryption. Lets’ understand that a little bit better.
Google definition: End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method of secure communication that prevents third-parties from accessing data while it’s transferred from one end system or device to another. In E2EE, the data is encrypted on the sender’s system or device and only the recipient is able to decrypt it.
Zoom uses E2EE, and then again so does Signal, so what is the difference? Whatsapp also uses E2EE. The difference is prying eyes and the company that you are trusting with your data. You may notice that the padlock is open just before the data hits your device and that is ample time for third parties and hackers to cash in on your data or put your information at risk.
A VPN is not always fool proof by any means, but if you want end to end encryption then I would suggest doing it right and taking as many measures to ensure a proper encryption of all data from the point it leaves your PC. Using a VPN could give yo that extra edge and using bitlocker or veracrypt on your PC may be helpful rather than just relying on E2EE to be the only solution. Keep in mind that Signal was hacked several times but has since been fixed. I would also suggest watching some vids from the Hated one, as he has some really great light to shed on this matter of Signal using Edward Snowden as a reference point.
BRIAR is another great app, unhacked as of yet to my knowledge, and has 3 ways of communicating through the BRIAR network. It can communicate over wi-fi, Bluetooth and though the TOR network. This is about as secure as it gets.
At the end of the day it is up to you and choose wisely.