Is your messaging app truly private?

November 13, 2025

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Do you know what vendors of messaging apps do with your data? Are your metadata and conversations stored securely? Is the messaging app you use truly private? To answer these questions, you need to understand what security of chat conversations is and what level of privacy you need for your communication and collaboration.

Encryption model

To protect user communication, vendors of messaging apps utilize various models. To understand better, let's see what common models include:

End-to-end encryption (E2EE)

This model encrypts messages on the sender's device and decrypts them only on the recipient's device, ensuring that only the intended recipient can access the content. Messaging apps are widely adopting E2EE, which is a key feature for privacy-conscious users. Still, E2EE is not supported for all collaboration features. E.g., Microsoft Teams does not provide E2EE for group calls, meetings, chats, and file-sharing.

Server-client encryption

This model encrypts messages on the server before they are sent to the recipient. While it provides a high level of security, it does not offer the same level of privacy as E2EE, because the messages are accessible to the server. However, if the server is hosted on-premises, the level of privacy significantly increases, as in this case, users can have total control over their data.

Zero-trust architecture

This model maintains that no user or device is inherently trustworthy, applying security principles to servers and admins as well. It helps prevent unauthorized access to messaging data

Post-quantum encryption

As quantum computing advances, organizations must explore post-quantum cryptography to ensure long-term data security. This involves integrating quantum-resistant solutions into data security strategies.

Data storage

It is important to know how your data is stored and handled by vendors. True privacy means that data is stored locally or with user-controlled encryption. However, if you use a cloud-based team messenger, you need to rely on the vendor.

Most cloud-based team messengers are quite secure and guarantee privacy. Still, some of them can be subpoenaed or easily hacked. The less access is provided to your data, the more secure it is. Thus, hosting the team messenger app hosting the team messenger app for your business chats on your servers is one of the most secure solutions.

What does "privacy" really mean for you?

Before answering this question, think carefully, as the meaning of "privacy" can be different depending on the type of business, person, or situation.

For some individuals, privacy is the lack of ads. For journalists or activists, privacy means protection from surveillance. For some businesses, it means total control over their corporate information without granting access to third parties.