this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2022
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Privacy

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Simplex Chat needs votes for support for offline bluetooth encrypted communication (github.com)
submitted 2 years ago by RecycledAnonymous@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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Was scrolling through my forums and came across this discussion on simplex chat, for an request for end to end encrypted offline bluetooth messaging. I thought this was a great feature but the **developer will only consider if people vote. So take a vote! **

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[–] ccx@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 years ago (2 children)

While potentially great idea for local area communication, I'd very much prefer more work on basic UX and usability for now.

As for non-local communication, I'm not sure how well that fits with SimpleX model. Briar is able to use mesh of relays that can be only intermittently connected to each other. On the other hand SimpleX is designed to give as little information to relay nodes on the internet about the origin or recipient of the messages. From what I'd read of it so far I'd assume that giving relays enough information to route messages to you would be counter to it's privacy guarantees.

[–] RecycledAnonymous@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

though briar said they will never support other operating systems, like it or not ios needs to be supported

[–] ccx@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 years ago

Like it or not Apple may just say no. They already refuse to give Bluetooth access to background applications in a way that would be useful to p2p messenger. And AppStore inclusion is at their whim, which given their current track record in HK/China I'd be very skeptical about. So unless you are talking about users willing to jailbreak and modify core components of their devices support from application developers doesn't necessarily accomplish what you want.

That said, Briar developers said they are willing to give technical support to any independent party developing iOS client, they are just not planning to do it themselves. Which I find very understandable because:

  • They have no iOS app developers on staff
  • Their codebase is not portable to iOS, requiring basically full rewrite anyway
  • This whole affair is a risky investment of time and energy for something that competes with core Apple product (AirDrop)

If SimpleX decides to implement any form of Bluetooth messaging that's compatible with iOS it will be by necessity very restricted and there's very little the developers can do about that.

[–] coldhotman@nrsk.no 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

like it or not ios needs to be supported

I think a messenger app these days should be native to both major mobile OS's and the three big one's for computers.

[–] ccx@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

That's wishful thinking when some of the platforms just flat out refuse to support necessary features for maintaining p2p connections.

Complaining to application developers won't change a thing about that.

Complain to Apple instead, preferably in the form of not buying their products unless they actually open their devices to third-party software without artificial limitations in the way.

[–] coldhotman@nrsk.no 1 points 2 years ago

Complaining to application developers won’t change a thing about that.

Having an opinion isn't complaining to the devs, what an odd thing to project.

Complain to Apple instead

Perhaps I could have, but I interact with briar or similar, and my friends - not apple. Let the people who owns an Apple device complain to apple, what incentives would they have to please me as a non-customer anyways?

preferably in the form of not buying their products

I haven't bought an apple product since the first gen iPod nano. After that the nanos wasn't jailbreakable and I was out. On top of that I always advocate open source android instead of both ios and google android.

[–] RecycledAnonymous@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

yes please express your opinion on the github discussions board

[–] coldhotman@nrsk.no 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I think they're on GitLab, and I did years ago lol

edit: and that they need proper data export/import as well, that's a real bummer

[–] coldhotman@nrsk.no 2 points 2 years ago

I've not gotten briar to mesh properly ever. I've experimented with four separate devices, bluetooth, wifi and net, all sorts of combination. It's one of the reasons why I unfortunately had to disregard it as a main comms platform, at least until they have sorted out either mesh or the mailbox they're working on. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, have you tested it or is it theoretical?