Every day we send and receive a huge amount of personal and work messages in messengers. On WhatsApp alone, people send more than 100 billion messages every day. When sending a message to someone, it is worth remembering that this information no longer belongs to you.
In the overwhelming majority of instant messengers, there is no solution to prohibit the forwarding of messages. This is due to the fact that the message can not only be forwarded but also copied in the form of a screenshot. Moreover, the sender of the message is known in most instant messengers. There is a mobile phone number, by which you can try to establish a real identity.
Secret Chats and a Screenshot Feature
The possibility of secure chatting in messengers is implemented using the “Secret Chats” function. The main difference from regular dialogs is the prohibition on sending messages, as well as on taking screenshots. At the same time, the correspondence itself is stored directly on the devices of the participants in the dialogue. But even in this case, there are a number of nuances:
- The application does not prohibit taking a screenshot, but only notifies the participants of the secret chat that one of them took a screenshot of the correspondence.
- A participant may also just take a photo of the chat with another device.
Recently, such a phenomenon as doxing is gaining momentum – when attackers, without any blackmail, publish private information in the public domain. Their goal is not to make money, but to harm the victim of the attack. Therefore, it is very important to understand to whom you are sending certain data. In this case, it is better to share confidential data in encrypted form.
It is impossible to completely protect yourself and your correspondence in the messenger from leaks, but it is worth observing some rules of digital hygiene. Firstly, you need to set a password for entering the application, and secondly, set a ban on viewing your last activity, profile photos, invitations to the group, and a call to your account in the messenger menu. In addition, you should not follow unverified links.
Messengers with a Ban on Taking Screenshots
Among the popular messengers, there are several tools that notify the chat participants about taking screenshots of the conversation. In particular, this feature is implemented in Telegram, Wickr, and Threema.
Wickr Me supports anonymous registration. The correspondence in encrypted form is stored on the server for 30 days. It is by far the best choice, combining proper security and privacy. Threema is a secure but paid messenger. It stores correspondence on the server and has a completely anonymous registration. LAN messengers can be also considered as an option.