[smc-discuss] Kontalk - encryption, as easy as whatsapp!

[Praveen A]

kontalk is a Free Software replacement for whatsapp - you can chat
with anyone if you know their phone number using a data connection
(cheaper sms for many people). See http://kontalk.org

Currently it is available only on android. Their next version would
support XMPP and it would make it easy to get it working on other
platforms.

One person in the audience at Mumbai asked me how they would know if
my contact has a kontalk account if they don't store everyone's
number? I asked the upstream and he confirmed my guess.

When you register your number, the server sends you an sms to confirm
your number and the number is discarded. A one way hash of the number
is used as username (like storing passwords, the server can never
guess the number based on the hash). So when you want to talk to
someone in your phone contact list, the client will make a hash and
send it to the server to find the public. The public key of the user
will be signed by the server and all communications will be end to end
encrypted. Only way to spy would installing apps on the users' phones.

This is simply brilliant, the encryption solution we have been waiting
for, as easy as whatsapp!

This is a real, easy, working, free software solution for completely
private communications. If you are worried about terrorists then the
culprits are all our governments, the chief one the USA.  It is indeed
harder to catch terrorists now, but you gave us no choice when you
misused your powers. You were not looking for terrorist when you were
listening to Angela Merckel, Dilma Rouseff, UN or EU parliament, it is
only about power and control.

Please share this widely in your local lists and networks.

Cheers
Praveen


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from them; you give them permission to rule, only so long as they follow the
rules: laws and constitution.