User privacy

[kfarivar]

Hi,

So considering preserving user privacy is central to the idea of this app, does the server have access to user data? Because if so I believe it would defeat the purpose. Especially considering there are many relatively recent cryptography methods that are privacy preserving. For instance the user features (e.g. likes and dislikes, age, whatever they care about) can be compared and it is possible to calculate any similarity measure between users (as long as it is not too computationally expensive) using Homomorphic encryption methods. This way no one other than the user themselves would have access to their personal data. Obviously after finding a match they can decide to disclose their information necessary for introduction but again the server doesn't need to have access to any unencrypted data.

Any plans to go in this direction ?

[Thatoo]

Instead of reinventing everything again, maybe the chat system could work on a light conduit matrix server .

[Mikaela]

Matrix is not your platform if you want privacy.

• https://aminda.eu/blog/english/2021/08/03/matrix-perfect-privacy-not.html#you-mentioned-privacy

[Thatoo]

It can be if you read the article you point to. Matrix isn't synapse (I mentiones conduit) and the biggest issue pointed by your article (about privacy issue) is federation in group chat but Alovoa chat system is peer to peer chat (your article don't point any privacy issue in p2p chat in matrix, only group chat) centralised and it could federate only with other Alovoa server.

[Mikaela]

If you read my article with care, you will know I wrote it and many issues affect Matrix Specification rather than Synapse or Element that some are reported against.

Additionally with Matrix you have no control to only allow specific homeserver implementations to join rooms and should you get ones written in different languages you are bound to start experiencing state resetting.

• https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec/issues?q=author%3Aneilalexander+is%3Aopen

[Thatoo]

You can control with which homeserver you federate with : https://matrix-org.github.io/synapse/latest/usage/configuration/config_documentation.html#federation_domain_whitelist

And you can restrict access to room or spaces only to your homeserver (enough for centralised chat I suppose).

I didn't get your part about languages but I guess you've made your point, you don't trust Matrix and it's OK. Regards.