Item — HN Reader

So by your logic then, WhatsApp provides privacy?

What about the troves of metadata they collect and make available to law enforcement? Plus the fact you have to register with a phone number which can tie the metadata to a specific individual.

Doesn't sound very private to me.

Privacy is full of tradeoffs. Security isnt. My messages on WhatsApp are safe from anyone I don't trust that doesn't have 10 super computers and a lot of patience.

But that doesn't mean everything I do on there isn't tracked to kingdom come. It doesn't mean the fact I sent a message to Alice is private.

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> So by your logic then, WhatsApp provides privacy?

By your logic by my logic then Zoom provides privacy if you pay them. This is obviously the opposite of what I said. The most private solution is end to end encrypted and doesn't require a credit card and doesn't collect metadata etc.

> Privacy is full of tradeoffs. Security isnt.

Everything is full of trade offs. How can privacy be full of trade offs and security not when privacy is a subset of security?

> The most private solution is end to end encrypted and doesn't require a credit card and doesn't collect metadata etc.

The most private solution actually doesn't involve a computer at all. It's not very useful though.

> How can privacy be full of trade offs and security not when privacy is a subset of security?

See my initial comment: > Security with encryption is about trust guarantees.

I'm not meaning "cybersecurity" when I say security here. I'm talking specifically about the security of encryption. Privacy and crypto security are two distinct concepts within cybersecurity.

Privacy hides the existence of a thing. Encryption (security) keeps the thing safe.