Is this article sponsored? Hard to say if it's without such label, but easy to say when it recommends close-source apps, or when server is close-source and network owned by social network...
It also misses community-based projects like Tox, Ring that are end-to-end encrypted and decentralized (DHT) by design and Riot (federalised Slack-like with end-to-end encryption), or Wire - one of the most feature-complete IMs.
The characterization of the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) as an encryption protocol destroyed the last bit of trust I had left in this article after the recommendation of a bunch of closed-source apps owned by social networks, while arguing in service of privacy, took most of it.
Flagged for being potentially dangerous in its inaccuracy. This post is terrible advice and is BuzzFeed meets infosec in its quality and analysis.
Many of these services are unauditable and should not be used for secure communications. Security is opt-in in cases, and there are even warnings in the article that certain things are not end-to-end encrypted.
I don't think I can agree with this list at all. Whatsapp on number one is kind of odd to me, I'd think Signal would take first place or at least a higher place than whatsapp. :-)
They should include the amount of meta data collected also in the report. For example WhatsApp collects and stores data about when and who did you chat with, but for example Signal only has knowledge of the day user was last seen using the app.
Wire is indeed awesome. However, as far as I can see, it's still questionable, whether it is as secure as developers tell us and if it really could be "trusted". AFAIK, Signal's developers said something like "we do not recommend to use Wire/Wire's protocol" (however, it all could be kind of political).
It also misses community-based projects like Tox, Ring that are end-to-end encrypted and decentralized (DHT) by design and Riot (federalised Slack-like with end-to-end encryption), or Wire - one of the most feature-complete IMs.
https://tox.chat/
https://ring.cx/en
https://riot.im/
https://wire.com/privacy/