There are so many reasons people can point to to be pessimistic about the future after the results of this election. One of those myriad of reasons is that the Trump FTC, FCC and CFPB are unlikely to be nearly as proactive as Biden’s in protecting the safety, security, and privacy of Americans going online or using mobile devices.

While Biden’s agencies were hard at work putting up barriers for bad actors trying to scam us, or find ever more insidious ways to collect and monetize our data, it’s unlikely that level of protection will continue under Trump, and—if anything—it will almost certainly be rolled back. We know for a fact Trump’s wealthy backers want to see out Lina Khan, the FTC chair who has been a bulldog against big tech monopolies. We know in his first term Trump’s FCC was very friendly to privacy hating, personal-data-slurping big telecoms. And we know the Republicans hate the CFPB.

I don’t want to sound like an alarmist, but, I’m increasingly becoming more acutely upset about the invasive forces that impede on our privacy and security in the course of all our communications.

And, this isn’t just your tin foil hat paranoia. Increasingly, I find myself dodging more and more almost daily fraudster attempts to ensnare me in a scam. I’m sure you’ve noticed it too. In addition, our old friends at Meta, Apple, Google, and Amazon — not to mention my phone carrier and my internet provider — are finding more and more insidious ways to capture my data and use it to monetize off me with ever more aggressive and invasive marketers. Like, did you realize, if you’re using your phone or tablet’s default keyboard, everything you type can be sent back to Google or Apple to monetize?

You feel it too. One moment you are texting with your partner about taking a trip for winter break, and then all of the sudden, every ad on your social feeds, and even commercials on your streamers start pushing travel and trips on you. We all have a feeling this is more than just coincidence. And as the national conversation turns to whether or not the Chinese — or even our own — government are using various apps to spy on us and collect our data, it’s worth taking these concerns seriously.

And if you legitimately worry you or someone you love belongs to a population that may be targeted in some way by the ascendant powers in America, your threat level has increased, and you really should be concerned about the security and privacy of your communications.

To that end, I’m making a concerted effort to try to move as much of my communication away from the spying eyes of scammers, fraudsters, marketers, Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, the NSA, etc, and toward more truly private conversations.

I would like to invite you to join me, especially over at any of the below top 7 preferred ways of contacting one another.

Maybe this does not feel like a big enough threat to you right now to shift all your communication all at once, and I understand. Everyone’s threat level is different. I highly encourage you, though, to at least check out these more secure, non-corporate (especially the top 2) modes of communication, and give them a whirl before you dismiss this out of hand. You can keep them all set up as backup just in case your threat level changes in the future.

However, my threat level has reached a point where I need to prioritize all my communication on these top 7 over the bottom 5.

1. Signal – When configured correctly, this is arguably the most secure and private messaging app available. As a non-profit and open-source platform, it offers unparalleled protection. However, to ensure full privacy, it’s crucial to lock down your phone number using all available security options.
2. SimpleX – A privacy-focused open-source messaging platform using a decentralized network with no central servers. It encrypts communication to protect user data and lacks user IDs, making individual tracking difficult.
3. Threema – A private messaging app based in Switzerland that uses its own secure network. It includes calls, video, photos, files, voice messages, location sharing, and group chats—all fully encrypted. Unlike other apps, Threema doesn’t need your phone number or email to sign up, just a one-time payment.
4. Briar – An open-source free messaging system that lets people communicate securely with each other without needing central servers. Messages can travel through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, the internet (using Tor), or even USB drives. Everything is protected with end-to-end encryption, and all stored content remains encrypted on users’ devices.
5. Session – A messaging app run by a non-profit organization that works across different devices. It keeps users private and anonymous by encrypting all messages and using blockchain technology to send them. People can chat one-on-one or in groups, and share files, voice messages, pictures, and videos.
6. Matrix Protocol messengers (Specifically Element) – A free messaging app that uses the Matrix system—an open communication standard similar to how email works. Just as Gmail users can email Yahoo users, Matrix lets people on different chat services talk to each other. Element includes encrypted messages, group chats, file sharing, and voice and video calls. It can be enhanced with bots and add-ons, and anyone can inspect or modify its code since it’s open-source.
7. Wire – A for-profit Swiss encrypted communication and collaboration app. Wire offers a comprehensive suite featuring messaging, voice and video calls, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration—all protected by secure end-to-end encryption.

For various reasons, I just cannot recommend the following.

1. Telegram – A for-profit messaging app that works across different devices and stores data in the cloud. Users can send messages, share files, post temporary stories, broadcast to large channels, make calls, and host livestreams. While voice and video calls are always encrypted, regular chats are not automatically private—users must specifically choose “Secret Chats” for encrypted messaging.
2. WhatsApp – A messaging app owned by Meta that lets users text, send voice messages, make calls, and share files and locations. You need a phone number to sign up. The app has faced privacy concerns: it uses contractors and AI to review some user content, shares user data with law enforcement, and was accused of giving Google access to private messages. In 2021, WhatsApp changed its privacy policy to allow sharing user data with Facebook and other Meta-owned companies.
3. Messenger (Meta/Facebook/Instagram)- A messaging app created by Meta that works with Facebook. Users can send messages, share files and media, react to messages, and chat with automated bots. It includes voice and video calls, lets you use multiple accounts, and offers encrypted conversations as an option. In 2018, there was controversy when the U.S. Justice Department tried to get backdoor access to private messages. While this request was first denied, the case was later sealed, leaving questions about how private messages really are.
4. Discord – A for-profit messaging and chat platform where users can make voice and video calls, send messages, and share media. Unlike many other messaging apps, Discord doesn’t encrypt private messages. In September 2024, a Federal Trade Commission report found that Discord’s data practices, along with those of eight other companies, could put people at risk of various harms including identity theft, stalking, discrimination, and mental health issues.
5. Text Message over RCS – Text is the least private, least secure way to message, but at least RCS provides a tiny bit of privacy.

If you, too, are concerned about security and privacy, I recommend you get an open-source offline keyboard like Fossify, AnySoftKeyboard, or OpenBoard so your keystrokes can’t be logged. Why do I need an open-source keyboard?

I also recommend you subscribe to and run a VPN—a virtual private network—on all of your devices, if security and privacy are important to you. Some good, private, secure, VPNs are: Proton, Mullvad, and IVPN.

You can come to your own conclusions based on the data compiled here at the secure messaging apps comparison site about all of the various data points that make these apps either more or less secure and private.

Learn even more about good privacy and security hygiene at Privacyguides.org.