Is SimpleX Chat really a secure and privacy oriented app?

General
1

SimpleX Chat is a very interesting app but definitively not reliable as a secure and privacy oriented app at this point.
Unfortunately they are not trustworthy either.

Introduction:

The main thing which should be emphasized is that SXC is run by a company financed by VC. They need to make a profit sooner or later.

From marketing standpoint you need to possess something which will differentiate you from other players.

SimpleX Chat chose to use a hype called privacy and they utilize “sophisticated” privacy approach to be different from others. Most of their privacy-security selling points are just gibberish for most of the users. For some privacy enthusiasts it’s enough to be onboard and parrot SXC pitch.

Example:

They claim (among other things) that they provide disappearing messages and even allow to delete sent messages (The latter is impossible if the contact didn’t agree with that earlier. Even Apple ‘iMessage’ allows to delete messages within 2 minutes, SXC DOES NOT).

I tested the mentioned features between the 2 official clients of SimpleX Chat (Android, Simplex-CLI).

Messages don’t disappeared and are not deleted

ScientificGrammy updated preferences for you:
Disappearing messages: enabled (you allow: yes (1 min), contact allows: yes (1 min))
/set delete @ScientificGrammy yes
you updated preferences for ScientificGrammy:
Full deletion: enabled (you allow: yes, contact allows: always)
00:29 i ScientificGrammy> This message should disappear in 60 sec. 
00:31 i @ScientificGrammy The message doesn't disappear!
00:32 i ScientificGrammy> The message will be deleted in a moment.
00:32 i ScientificGrammy> [deleted] The message will be deleted in a moment.
00:33 i @ScientificGrammy The message is not deleted only marked as deleted.

Do not relay on their marketing pitch.

2

Ultimately with disappearing messages it’s up to the client to actually delete the message. Once you send it you’re fully trusting your contact.

2 Likes
3

I used the official clients of SimpleX Chat. I wrote about it.
Their clients (apps) do not do what they claim that they do.

1 Like
5

What @fria said is true, there’s no way to ensure that messages sent to recipient will never be archived even if it is deleted from their client. The recipient could always screenshot or record the screen, some people may suggest blocking the ability of doing so when app is opened like Snapchat. But, they could always use a separate device or emulator to bypass it.

They already answered all VC related questions multiple times so need to mention it as it is irrelevant.

SimpleX Chat chose to use a hype called privacy and they utilize “sophisticated” privacy approach to be different from others. Most of their privacy-security selling points are just gibberish for most of the users. For some privacy enthusiasts it’s enough to be onboard and parrot SXC pitch.

What??? The example you gave is pretty terrible as I already explained above the reasoning.

This thread is straight up FUD.

1 Like
6

This must be a bug. Did you report to SimpleX, are they aware of the issue?

8

This is exactly the kind of thread Jonah was talking about here.
Closed.

1 Like