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element-hq / element-desktop

A glossy Matrix collaboration client for desktop.
https://element.io
GNU Affero General Public License v3.0
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Phones home, communicating with servers despite no analytics/identity server #1895

Closed martinoshub closed 1 month ago

martinoshub commented 1 month ago

Steps to reproduce

  1. Disable analytics
  2. Disconnect/detach from vector.im

Outcome

Expected results: Element doesn't connect anywhere else but the home server.

Practice: it constantly communicates with Cloudflare servers.

Operating system

Windows

Application version

1.11.78

How did you install the app?

https://element.io/get-started

Homeserver

Matrix/synapse

Will you send logs?

No

martinoshub commented 1 month ago

Apparently it's connecting to matrix.org / matrix-client.org as soon as I run it, despite the first thing being me changing the home server. What gives? And why does it keep communicating with it as I'm doing stuff on my home server? Please clarify what data is being sent and why, and if there's a way to disable it from the software (not firewall etc).

t3chguy commented 1 month ago

Duplicate of https://github.com/element-hq/element-web/issues/11655

martinoshub commented 1 month ago

Issue #11655 raises the question of privacy leaks before the user is able to configure anything. This ticket is more about

1) Once everything's been turned off, configured and aimed at self hosted servers, why does it keep communicating with matrix-client.matrix.org even as I'm connected to my own self hosted server? None of the reasoning in #11655 explained this.

2) At least after the fact, after the first couple instances of phoning home, why is there absolutely zero opportunity to change this behavior from within the settings?

I have read about the challenges of changing the onboarding flow, bugging users with extra steps and all of that, I'm not arguing any of that.

I'm asking if you guys are really taking this seriously and actually don't need all the IPs and pings and telemetry from your self-hosted users in the long term, why would you not just add one more option to the dozens that already exist in the menus? Seems like such a simple change that would fix this issue of the users having no say in what happens and the application phoning home 24/7.

t3chguy commented 1 month ago

privacy leaks before the user is able to configure anything.

The title of the issue specifically says while logged into another homeserver.

Once everything's been turned off, configured and aimed at self hosted servers, why does it keep communicating with matrix-client.matrix.org even as I'm connected to my own self hosted server? None of the reasoning in #11655 explained this.

This is described in https://github.com/element-hq/element-web/issues/11655#issuecomment-565077129

At least after the fact, after the first couple instances of phoning home, why is there absolutely zero opportunity to change this behavior from within the settings?

It is set by the config which you are in full control of