Secure Messengers At a Glance

The best-known WhatsApp alternatives include Signal, Telegram, Threema, and Wickr. In some cases, these apps place a lot of emphasis on data privacy and anonymity. Entrepreneur Elon Musk and whistleblower Edward Snowden have a clear recommendation. And you can bet that there are some very interesting alternatives. ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES? WhatsApp is the undisputed number […]

The best-known WhatsApp alternatives include Signal, Telegram, Threema, and Wickr. In some cases, these apps place a lot of emphasis on data privacy and anonymity. Entrepreneur Elon Musk and whistleblower Edward Snowden have a clear recommendation. And you can bet that there are some very interesting alternatives.

ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES?

WhatsApp is the undisputed number 1 messenger in Germany, Europe and worldwide. Two billion users use the app, over 40 million in Germany alone.

The messenger service is a constant source of debate: Since May 15, 2021, for example, new terms of use apply and WhatsApp changed its privacy policy. The changes affected some information about the legal basis of data processing and communication with the company.

 

Concerns about how data privacy is handled have been around for a long time: WhatsApp collects a lot of data, such as phone numbers and who chats with whom. The company is allowed to pass this information on to its parent company Meta, according to the consumer center.

WhatsApp is also repeatedly criticized for loopholes in its encryption: hackers have discovered that even encrypted messages can be decrypted in a roundabout way, i.e. made readable. We, therefore, show you various messengers that promise more security.

 

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT SIGNAL?

The IT specialist and American whistleblower Edward Snowden recommends the app Signal from the US company Open Whisper Systems. Musk also recommended the app on Twitter. After his recommendation, download numbers went through the roof.

 

Signal was only rated “satisfactory” by Stiftung Warentest in its 2015 test because the encryption didn’t work properly at the time. There were no video calls and the test team wasn’t happy with the sign-up process – it needs a phone number – as well as with the app automatically reading the phonebook. In the new March 2022 test, Signal was named the test winner by Stiftung Warentest.

 

Meanwhile, video calls are also available with Signal. The app is considered very secure: Since the source code is open, the security of the messenger can be easily checked and confirmed by Experts.

 

Availability: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux

Anonymity: phone number and phone book required, pseudonym is possible as username

Encryption: secure “end-to-end” encryption, can disguise IP address via proxy

Privacy: servers are located in the U.S. and are subject to U.S. privacy laws, messages and attachments are not deleted after delivery, but you can activate a “self-destruct mode” for messages, which are then removed after a certain time.

The app has seen more downloads in recent years, but it doesn’t play a major role in most people’s daily lives. According to an online study conducted by ARD and ZDF in 2022, 70 percent of Germans aged 14 and older use WhatsApp on a daily basis, while Signal is only used by 3 percent.

 

THREEMA

Threema was the first major messenger app to commit to data protection. In 2015, it scored almost as well in the Stiftung Warentest as Hoccer, the test winner (Hoccer no longer exists). In the meantime, Threema has expanded the protection even further and no longer necessarily requires personal data. In addition, the messenger now offers a similar number of functions as WhatsApp. Even voice calls are possible, and Threema says it uses green power.

 

Availability: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux.

Anonymity: no need to provide personal data, or assignment via a Threema ID, but contacts can be synchronized when setting up the app

Encryption: secure “end-to-end” encryption

Data protection: servers are located in Switzerland and are subject to Swiss data protection laws, messages, and attachments are deleted immediately after delivery. The code is open-source so experts can also check the security. To comply with German data protection regulations, Threema Work is available for business purposes. This also enables the separation of private and business communication messages.

 

WICKR

The free messenger Wickr goes one step further: while other messengers delete data after delivery, it anonymizes data even before it is sent. How it works: Anyone who sends a photo also sends details such as location, date taken, and other so-called metadata. Wickr deletes all metadata before sending so that only very little data is collected (for example, what time the picture was sent).

If a chat user makes a screenshot, the other chat participant is notified about it. You can retract messages or have them deleted after a certain time. The source code is open and the security can be checked by independent experts. It is also possible to make phone calls via Wickr Messenger. The only drawback is that the data is stored in the USA.

Availability: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux

Anonymity: no mail or mobile number is needed, and no reading of personal data

Encryption: secure “end-to-end” encryption

Privacy: servers are located in the USA and are subject to American privacy laws.

 

GINLO

The new messenger Ginlo (formerly SIMSme, messenger of Deutsche Post) offers complete encryption “Made in Germany”. The name Ginlo is an anagram of “login”. With Ginlo, you can chat with friends in encrypted form and send videos, pictures, files and voice messages in individual or group chats.

New contacts can be added via a personal QR code. The Messenger therefore works without users having to give out their mobile phone number. The Messenger is also available as a business variant – this enables internal company communication via Messenger in accordance with applicable data protection guidelines.

Availability: iOS, Android

Anonymity: phone number required for registration, phone book is searched for contacts

Encryption: secure “end-to-end” encryption

Privacy: servers are located in the EU and are subject to European data protection laws, all messages are deleted within 30 days, a “self-destruct mode” gives messages an expiration date – they then disappear from the chat partners.