Communication Tools

Recommended for Privacy

(Strong E2EE, open-source or decentralized, minimal metadata retention. Flags indicate primary legal jurisdiction; 🌐 = decentralized/no single jurisdiction.)

• Briar 🌐 — Peer‑to‑peer E2EE messaging over Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, or Tor; no phone number required.

• Cwtch 🇨🇦 — Decentralized, metadata‑resistant, anonymous communications (Open Privacy Research Society).

• Element 🇬🇧 — Open‑source Matrix client; E2EE by default; decentralized/self‑hostable.

• Friends 🌐 — Open‑source, peer‑to‑peer chat.

• Jitsi 🇺🇸 — Open‑source; self‑hostable; Jitsi Meet supports E2EE in certain contexts (project owned by 8x8).

• Linphone 🇫🇷 — Open‑source VoIP; strong encryption (ZRTP, SRTP).

• Mattermost 🇺🇸 — Open‑source, self‑hosted team chat with strong security.

• Rocket.Chat 🇺🇸 — Open‑source, self‑hostable team chat; optional E2EE.

• Session 🇨🇭 — Decentralized, onion‑routed messenger; no phone number required (Session Technology Foundation).

• Signal 🇺🇸 — Open‑source; E2EE by default; minimal metadata retention (Signal Technology Foundation).

• Threema 🇨🇭 — Privacy‑focused; E2EE by default; minimal data.

• Tox 🌐 — Decentralized P2P E2EE messaging; no central servers.

• Wire 🇨🇭 — Open‑source; E2EE; GDPR‑aligned hosting options.

Better Privacy

(Some metadata collected, but E2EE or stronger privacy stance than mainstream competitors)

• Viber 🇯🇵: E2EE by default; owned by Rakuten.

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Good Privacy

(Open-source or self-hostable; privacy depends on server admin / hosting configuration)

• Discourse: Self-hostable forums; privacy depends on admin choices.
• Ekiga: Open-source VoIP; not actively maintained.
• Exo Platform: Open-source digital workplace; self-hostable.
• Lets Chat: Open-source, self-hosted chat.
• MyBB: Open-source forums; depends on hosting.
• Phorum: Open-source forums; depends on admin setup.
• Talky: WebRTC video chat; no account required.
• Zulip: Open-source team chat; can be self-hosted.

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Privacy Caution

(Proprietary, logs metadata, limited or no E2EE; includes Meta-owned services)

• Adobe Connect 🇺🇸: Meeting data on Adobe servers.
• AnyDesk 🇩🇪: Remote desktop; lock down unattended access.
• AnyMeeting 🇺🇸: Proprietary, U.S.-hosted.
• BeamYourScreen 🇩🇪: Not E2EE.
• Blackboard 🇺🇸: Heavy data collection.
• blind 🇺🇸/🇰🇷: Requires work email; collects user data.
• Chanty 🇺🇦: Cloud-hosted; not E2EE.
• Digital Samba 🇪🇸: Proprietary webinar platform.
• eBLVD 🇺🇸: Proprietary remote access.
• FaceFlow 🇨🇦: Logs metadata; proprietary.
• Fleep 🇪🇪: Not E2EE; cloud-stored.
• Flowdock 🇺🇸/🇫🇮: Cloud storage; owned by CA Technologies.
• FreeConferenceCall 🇺🇸: Not E2EE; stores metadata.
• FreeScreenSharing 🇺🇸: Proprietary; not E2EE.
• Glance 🇺🇸: Proprietary engagement platform.
• GoToMeeting 🇺🇸: Logs metadata; proprietary.
• Google Meet 🇺🇸: Google account required; extensive metadata.
• Highfive 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• ICQ 🇷🇺: Weak encryption history; Russian ownership.
• Infinite 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Intercall 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Join.me 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Jostle 🇨🇦: Proprietary.
• Lifesize 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Live Conference Pro 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Lucid Meetings 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• LumoFlow 🇫🇮: Proprietary.
• Mashme tv 🇪🇸: Proprietary.
• MeetingOne 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• MeWe 🇺🇸: Proprietary. Markets itself as ad- and tracking-free, but this cannot be independently verified due to closed-source code and absence of third-party audits.
• Microsoft Teams 🇺🇸: Heavy telemetry; logs metadata.
• Mikogo 🇩🇪: Proprietary.
• Mobilimeet 🇸🇪: Proprietary.
• omNovia 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• PGi iMeet 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Personify 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Polycom 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Quick Topic 🇺🇸: Hosted, no encryption.
• ReadyTalk 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• RingCentral 🇺🇸: Logs metadata; proprietary.
• Screenleap 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Sharetronix 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• Skarpline 🇨🇦: Proprietary.
• Skype 🇺🇸: Microsoft-owned; logs metadata/content.
• Slack 🇺🇸: Logs metadata; server-side storage unencrypted at rest by default.
• Socialtext 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• StartMeeting 🇺🇸: Proprietary.
• TeamViewer 🇩🇪: Logs metadata; proprietary.
• Telegram 🇷🇺: Default “cloud” chats are not end-to-end encrypted; uses proprietary MTProto protocol with known design concerns; requires phone number, exposing users to SIM-swap risks; metadata and IP address logs accessible to the company; Russian jurisdictional exposure and documented compliance with data requests.
• WhatsApp 🇺🇸: E2EE by default but Meta-owned; extensive metadata and backups exposure.
• Workplace by Facebook 🇺🇸: Facebook-linked; extensive tracking.
• Zoho Cliq 🇮🇳: Proprietary.
• Zoom 🇺🇸: Logs metadata; E2EE not default across all meeting types.

Defunct / Offline

• Campfire: Defunct.

• iLinc: Defunct.

• iWowWe: Defunct.

• ooVoo: Defunct.

• Simple Signal: Defunct.

• Encrypted Cloud: Defunct.