A comparison of chat applications in terms of security and privacy

Abstract

Mobile messaging or chat Applications (Apps) have gained increasing popularity over the past decade. Large amounts of data are being transmitted over the internet when people make use of these Apps. Metadata and personal information are being collected and stored every day while consumers are seeking protection against surveillance as well as against attacks from hackers. There are countless Apps available but some are leading the way in popularity, platform availability and features. WhatsApp, one of the leading Apps, revealed in 2016 that it had more than one billion users. In March 2016, WikiLeaks released information that the CIA was able to bypass all security systems of both WhatsApp and Signal, another popular App, to read user messages. WikiLeaks also revealed that the CIA makes use of malware and hacking tools that allow them to remotely hack into smartphones. In 2017, a Guardian report indicated that Facebook, WhatsApp’s parent company, could read encrypted messages due to a certain vulnerability found in the App. In terms of security, it is important to distinguish pure secure messaging Apps from the ones who are less secure and trustworthy. This paper compares the best and the supposedly most secure messaging Apps based on the built-in security and privacy features of the Apps, as well as the location and subsequent accessibility of stored data. Recommendations and best practice advisements for users are made on which Apps seem to be the most secure and private.