Delta Chat: Revolutionizing Secure and Private Messaging in the Age of Surveillance

 

Delta Chat - decentralized messenger on top of email

Hornbeam

4 min

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Has email become obsolete? Which messenger should you use to avoid getting into a difficult situation and losing touch with friends? Is it possible to use old technologies in a new way?

Some brilliant ideas are so simple that subsequently you always wonder whysomething so obviousdidn’t come into use earlier? Well, if this has not happened before, then now - in the era of a new wave of censorship, government blocking of Internet resources and the constant threat of surveillance - it’s probably time to rethink the approach to electronic correspondence again...

I present to your attention the DeltaChat project

Delta Chat is a free decentralized messenger for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, operating on top of the oldest protocol stack E-mail . A Windows version is in development.

Among the key features of DeltaChat, it is worth highlighting the following:

• Delta Chat does not have a single server or infrastructure - the application connects to any email server you choose;
• distributed communication with other domains is carried out through a federation of mail servers;
• the recipient can be any email owner, even if he has not yet installed Delta Chat;
• if there is a possibility for end-to-end encryption of correspondence, the Autocrypt mechanism is used, messages are encrypted automatically (and the user is shown a padlock);
• display of read marks and delivery status and quick notifications function thanks to the protocol Push-IMAP;
• To protect against spam, by default only messages from the contact list are displayed;
• fully open source applications licensed under GPLv3 and standards-based protocols

Why use Delta Chat?

Here's how the messenger authors themselves answer this question:

…
All communication is now done through WhatsApp, Instagram or similar applications - well, not all, but quite a lot. There are about six billion email addresses in the world and more than one billion people now use chat rooms instead of email. Why? Chat is the easiest way to communicate.

This ease is rewarded. Although there are some dangerous traps.

Here's a thought experiment: imagine that WhatsApp had already been invented in the Weimar Republic. Then the Nazis came to power. Now the Gestapo only needs to visit a few corporations, and they already know every Jew and official - even if they have never used WhatsApp. And they know who hangs out with whom. And with the help of movement profiles, they can easily understand where the most suitable place for an arrest is. History already knows many similar examples...

Now, there is a real alternative to WhatsApp. It's called “Delta Chat”. Anyone who uses this new app on their mobile phone can already communicate with six billion users - without having to persuade them to switch. Just write letters, but now in the form of a chat with certain people. Delta Chat feels like WhatsApp. If people want the same experience, they can download Delta Chat on their mobile phone and chat together, just like on WhatsApp. But they are not obligated; the application can be used alone.

Why is Delta Chat better? It has an incomparable advantage over WhatsApp: without having to convince anyone, you can already communicate with anyone who has an email address, not just WhatsApp users. If you want, use Delta Chat. Or not.

FAQ

Does Delta Chat support images, videos and other attachments?

Yes. In addition to plain text, all email attachments appear as separate messages. Outgoing messages will receive attachments as needed automatically.

Does Delta Chat support HTML emails?

Yes. If incoming emails lack plain text, we convert HTML emails to plain text ourselves. Outgoing messages always use plain text.

Does Delta Chat support end-to-end encryption?

Yes. Delta Chat implements the Autocrypt Level 1 standard and can thus provide end-to-end E2E message encryption with other Autocrypt-enabled applications.

What do I need to do to enable end-to-end encryption?
Nothing.

Delta Chat apps (and other Autocrypt-compatible email apps) exchange the keys needed for end-to-end encryption automatically as soon as the first messages are sent. After this, all subsequent messages are automatically encrypted. If one of the chat partners is using an email application that is not Autocrypt compatible, messages are not encrypted until an Autocrypt compatible application is available again.

If you want to disable end-to-end encryption, please use the appropriate setting under Settings/Advanced Settings.

How to check encryption?

If a small padlock appears next to a message, it means the message is end-to-end encrypted and sent from that sender, and your response will also be protected with end-to-end E2E encryption.

If the padlock is not displayed, then the message is protected only by the transport layer of encryption from the application to the mail server. because you or the sender have disabled end-to-end encryption or the sender is using an application that does not support end-to-end encryption.

How can I verify the sender?

The user profile displays additional information:

You can tap "QR Invite code" on Android and then use the "scan QR-code" button on another device to scan the code. If both devices are connected to the network, they will create a chat channel with each other (if one does not already exist) and the encryption keys will be verified.

To diagnose end-to-end encryption, Delta Chat shows two key fingerprints. If they are the same on your device and your chat partner's device, then the connection is secure.

Do you like the idea of ​​this messenger? Or maybe you have been using Delta chat or something similar for a long time? Write in the comments!