Over the past days, push notifications and the impact they have on data privacy has become a hot topic not only in tech circles but also in mainstream media. The debate was sparked by a letter from US Senator Ron Wyden, asking the Department of Justice to allow push-service providers, in particular Apple and Google, to inform the public about government requests for so-called “push tokens.” The topic has stirred up some confusion, which is why we would like to set a few things straight.
As they say, a tidy house equals a tidy mind. Arguably, the same applies to the digital space, which is why the latest Threema versions for Android and iOS come with a handy little feature to tidy up your chats for you.
This probably sounds familiar: you receive a message that has little relevance at the moment but to which you’ll want to refer at a later point – like a shopping list, travel directions, or event details.
Instant messaging not only facilitates communication in private life but also in the business environment. However, even if it’s convenient and efficient to use regular chat apps for communication with work colleagues and team members, confidential company data should only be shared using services that provide sufficient security and privacy compliance. Companies do well, therefore, to ensure that instant messaging at work is on the right track.
Our new promo clip illustrates why a secure messenger is indispensable for companies and what benefits Threema Work offers:
Group calls become available across the board, unleashing their full potential and allowing all Threema users to conduct end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls in group chats.
Threema being a paid app is a feature, not a bug. As they say, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and in contrast to paying with user data, paying with money is transparent and doesn’t sacrifice privacy.
While paying with money is good, paying with cash is even better. Despite the general trend of abandoning cash in favor of electronic payment methods, Threema’s Android app can now be purchased with paper money. It has always been possible to pay Threema for Android in privacy-friendly fashion using Bitcoin, but cash payments now allow for complete buyer anonymity without cryptocurrency.
How It Works
In the Threema Shop, you select “Pay anonymously with cash,” order the desired amount of licenses, and receive both an order number and a “license URL.”
You send us the due amount in cash and indicate your order number.
After receipt of the payment, we activate your licenses, which you can then obtain via the license URL.
When it comes to cryptographic protocols, a formal security proof is the ultimate hallmark of quality. German researchers now provide such a proof for the Ibex protocol, confirming that Threema’s security is based on a rock-solid foundation.
Each chat tells its own story. To also highlight the variety of your conversations on a visual level, Threema for iOS now allows you to set individual wallpapers for each contact or group chat.
Not only does this give the app a very personal touch, it also makes immediately apparent which chat is open, minimizing the risk of accidentally sending a message to the wrong person or group.
To change the wallpaper of a chat, simply open the respective contact or group details, tap on “Wallpaper,” and select an image of your choice.
In modern democracy, the press plays such an essential role that it is often described as the “Fourth Estate.” Without independent news coverage, and thus without the watchdog function of the press, political processes could not be reviewed by the public.
All good things come in threes: the latest Threema update for iOS introduces profile pictures in push notifications, contacts in the Share Sheet, and Siri suggestions, thereby improving the app’s OS integration quite a bit.
In addition to the EU’s so-called “chat control,” there’s another European draft legislation that uses child protection as a pretext for full-scale surveillance of chat communication without probable cause: the UK’s Online Safety Bill. Together with other messaging services, we take a firm stand against this legislative proposal.
Just like you occasionally replace old photos on the wall with new ones, apps also need a fresh touch every once in a while. Now, Threema’s iOS app presents itself in a new look: since the 4.8 update, the user interface has been renewed step by step. With Threema 5.0 for iOS, the complete rewrite of the chat view has now received its finishing stroke.
Today is Data Privacy Day, an international event held annually on January 28. Its purpose is to raise the public’s awareness for data protection on the Internet.
To celebrate the occasion, we have launched a collection of privacy-themed apparel and accessories. Here’s a small selection:
Join the movement, and show your support for data protection and privacy with statements like “Regain privacy” or “My data is nobody’s business.” To discover the entire merch collection, please follow this link:
Online services have started to realize that more and more users care about privacy. As a result, many put an emphasis on privacy protection in their marketing. More often than not, however, privacy protection is confused with security or, specifically, encryption. While encryption of user content is necessary for comprehensive privacy protection, it is by no means sufficient. If, for example, a chat service end-to-end encrypts the messages users exchange but at same time requires personally identifiable information and collects metadata for marketing purposes, that’s nowhere near comprehensive privacy protection.
A group chat with you as the only member? What might sound useless at first is a handy feature in Threema: this “group” can be used as a versatile chat for personal notes. Find out in this blog post in what situations this empty group chat is particularly useful.
