Comment on The offline messaging apps challenging internet shutdowns
petrescatraian@libranet.de 1 week agoI frankly think there should be something like a Bluetooth-based protocol allowing for every messaging app to exchange messages, much like #XMPP. Then, even if you block one app, there will be others available that anyone can use with the people that managed to install that blocked app in the 1st place.
IllNess@infosec.pub 1 week ago
You can still create open hotspots and have those services running on a server if you wanted. It doesn’t need to be connected to the internet.
Anyone please correct me if I am wrong.
lemonuri@infosec.pub 1 week ago
Yeah, but everyone needs to be in the vicinity of the server. A mesh network (p2p) where every client also relays messages for other clients is better suited for this usecase. I think meshtastic is an open standard for this. Briar is a valid alternative that works with phones, which most people already own. Not the greatest idea to bring those to protests, though because of network surveillance attacks by police forces. A meshtastic decide would solve this problem.
petrescatraian@libranet.de 1 week ago
I'm also thinking about the possibility of blocking/hijacking the network by the law enforcement forces. If every device is also a node connecting to each other, they can be more hardly taken down I think.
I'm not so familiar with meshtastic, but wouldn't be more helpful to have something that actually runs on people's phones instead of having a separate device? I mean, as you said, everyone has phones, and with something like the Ripple app (or any other panic button app) you could hide the app or clear its data (or you could do it manually). With meshtastic, in the event of a search, I think you would be more suspicious, I think.
JillyB@beehaw.org 6 days ago
I’m not that knowledgeable about this stuff but I think meshtastic would have better range due to running over lora. That’s the whole reason you need a separate radio for the communication to a node. Also the nodes require very little power. You can set up one with a small solar cell for cheap and just leave it somewhere. Black Flag Civilian and Benn Jordan both have plans to make your own nodes. There are plenty of others out there.