Briar: A messaging experiment

With so much information being shared online these days security is becoming more and more compromised, at least in my opinion. Millions and millions (billions) of people feel completely safe posting their lives on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms plus email and messaging apps as well. With all that information flying around some is bound to get captured along the line. To think it won't happen is to be naive in the true sense of the word.

My family use WhatsApp to keep in contact; Sure, some have Facebook however some don't, namely myself and Faith and my brother who lives here in Australia. WhatsApp seems to do the job and is supposed to be secure however I have my doubts so am still reasonably careful about what I put there.

Anyway, it's that brother I mention here who introduced me to a messaging app called Briar that may provide a more secure alternative. We've been trying it out for a few days with the view to evaluate its usefulness and quality.

The text below outlines the app and has been taken directly from the Briar website.

"Briar is a messaging app designed for activists, journalists, and anyone else who needs a safe, easy and robust way to communicate. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Briar doesn’t rely on a central server - messages are synchronized directly between the users’ devices. If the internet’s down, Briar can sync via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, keeping the information flowing in a crisis. If the internet’s up, Briar can sync via the Tor network, protecting users and their relationships from surveillance."

Interesting huh? It piqued my curiosity as soon as my brother told me about it and I decided to learn more.

I learned that the app is designed to protect users agains censorship and surveillance threats as follows:

Metadata surveillance - It uses the Tor network with a user's contacts list encrypted and stored on their device.

Content surveillance - End to end encryption of communication (No eavesdropping or tampering of information).

Content filtering - Encryption prevents keyword filtering and is decentralised so there are no servers to block out.

Takedown orders - Users that subscribe to a forum keep a copy of the content, so there’s no single-point from which a post can be deleted.

Denial of service attacks - There is no central server so on can't be attacked and each user has access to content even if off line.

Internet blackouts - Briar operates over Bluetooth and also WiFi which keeps information flowing throughout blackouts.

The following has also been taken directly from the Briar website.

"Our long-term plans go far beyond messaging: we’ll use Briar’s data synchronization capabilities to support secure, distributed applications including crisis mapping and collaborative document editing. Our goal is to enable people in any country to create safe spaces where they can debate any topic, plan events, and organise social movements."

I downloaded the app from the Playstore and within a few minutes had swapped links with my brother and were connected. One can create a name for oneself which others will see and when connected with a new contact I was also able to create a nickname for the user for easier identification. This nickname is only visible to me.

The app only does messaging and forums at this stage although it has emojis on the messaging part of it. I would like to see it do images and video however these things may come in the future.

So far I like it. My brother and I have been messaging as per normal and it seems to work fine. The only gripe I have at the moment is that it seems to use up a lot of battery power which could be an issue. Of the total power used by my phone today 23% of that used-power has been dominated by Briar with the next app (Samsung Internet) only having used 4.5% - Much less obviously, and I've used the internet more. Still, at 7pm I have 43% battery life and 7 hours remaining so it's not too bad. Not ideal battery drain by any means, but maybe worth it for the security the app provides.

I'll keep you updated on how it goes with another post in a couple weeks. I'm hoping it works out as I like the fact it provides a lot of security and the ability to work around blackouts. I'm not sure how long it has been around and at what rate it will be developed however it's worth the time to experiment a little I think and with a few tweaks by the developers it could become a viable alternative.

I'd like to know your thoughts on the matter if you have any and certainly if you know of other options that might be worth a try. So please comment if you like.

---

Tomorrow isn't promised - Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default
_{An original post written by a human
Discord: galenkp#9209} 🇦🇺