Messaging & Social Platforms
| Platform | E2E Encryption | Metadata Collection | Business Model | Open Source | Privacy Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Extreme (everything: behavior, location, contacts, purchases, browsing) | Advertising (Meta) | No | 🔴 High Risk | |
| Partial (DMs opt-in only) | Extreme (behavior, who you view, interests, location) | Advertising (Meta) | No | 🔴 High Risk | |
| Messages only | Extensive (contacts, groups, timing, location, device info) | Advertising (Meta) | No | ⚠️ Moderate | |
| Facebook Messenger | Opt-in only | Extensive | Advertising (Meta) | No | 🔴 High Risk |
| Instagram DMs | Opt-in only | Extensive | Advertising (Meta) | No | 🔴 High Risk |
| Signal | Everything | Minimal (phone number, last connection) | Donations (non-profit) | Yes | 🟢 Built for Privacy |
| Telegram | Secret Chats only | Extensive (regular chats stored on servers) | Freemium + Advertising | Partial | ⚠️ Moderate |
| iMessage | Apple devices only | Moderate (iCloud backups unless Advanced Protection) | Hardware sales | No | 🟡 Low Risk |
| Discord | None | Extensive (everything stored permanently) | Freemium | No | 🔴 High Risk |
| Snapchat | None | Extensive (location, contacts, viewing habits) | Advertising | No | 🔴 High Risk |
| Twitter/X DMs | Premium only | Extensive | Advertising + Subscriptions | No | 🔴 High Risk |
Content & Social Platforms
| Platform | E2E Encryption | Metadata Collection | Business Model | Open Source | Privacy Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | N/A | Extensive (watch history, searches, location, device) | Advertising (Google) | No | 🔴 High Risk |
| TikTok | N/A | Extensive (biometrics, keystrokes, clipboard) | Advertising (ByteDance) | No | 🔴 High Risk |
| N/A | Extensive (sold to AI companies) | Advertising + Data licensing | No | 🔴 High Risk | |
| None | Extensive (professional network, behavior) | Advertising + Subscriptions (Microsoft) | No | 🔴 High Risk | |
| N/A | Extensive (interests, searches, purchases) | Advertising | No | 🔴 High Risk | |
| Twitch | None | Extensive (viewing habits, chat) | Advertising + Subscriptions (Amazon) | No | 🔴 High Risk |
How Snugg Compares
- All content encrypted before leaving your device
- We cannot read your posts, photos, or messages
- No third-party analytics or ad networks
- True deletion—we destroy encryption keys
- Regular independent security audits
What These Terms Mean
E2E Encryption
End-to-end encryption means only you and the recipient can read messages. The platform cannot access content even if compelled.
Metadata
Data about your data: who you talk to, when, how often, from where, on what device. Often more revealing than content itself.
Business Model
How the platform makes money. Advertising-based models profit from your data. Subscription models profit from your satisfaction.
Open Source
Code is publicly available for anyone to inspect and verify. Claims can be independently validated rather than trusted.
The Bottom Line
🔴 High Risk
Platform has access to your content and/or collects extensive metadata for advertising
Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Discord, Snapchat, Twitter/X, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitch
⚠️ Moderate
Has encryption but collects significant metadata or has advertising-based parent company
WhatsApp, Telegram
🟡 Low Risk
Good encryption but closed source or ecosystem limitations
iMessage
🟢 Built for Privacy
Minimal data collection, transparent business model, verifiable claims
Signal, Snugg
Privacy Checklist
When evaluating any platform, ask:
- 1Is my content encrypted end-to-end by default?
- 2What metadata is collected about my usage?
- 3How does this platform make money?
- 4Can I verify their privacy claims (open source)?
- 5What happens to my data if I delete my account?
Common Myths Debunked
"I have nothing to hide."
You have nothing to hide from whom? Your data is sold to advertisers, shared with partners, and can be subpoenaed. Every future acquisition inherits your data.
"End-to-end encrypted means private."
Encryption protects content, but metadata (who, when, how often, where) often reveals more about you than the messages themselves.
"Big companies are safer because they have better security."
Big companies are bigger targets and have business models that require collecting your data. Size doesn't equal privacy.
"It's just my public posts, who cares?"
Platforms combine public posts with private behavior, location, contacts, and browsing to build comprehensive profiles that predict and influence your behavior.
"Deleting my account removes my data."
Most platforms retain your data indefinitely for "legal and business purposes." Without proper deletion mechanisms, your data lives forever.
Why This Matters
Your data is used to:
- Build psychological profiles for ad targeting
- Train AI models (often without consent)
- Sell to data brokers who sell to anyone
- Provide to governments upon request
- Manipulate your behavior through algorithmic feeds
"We kill people based on metadata."
— Former NSA Director Michael Hayden
If metadata is powerful enough for military targeting, it's powerful enough to profile your entire life.
The Real Question
- Do you trust every employee at these companies?
- Do you trust every future acquisition?
- Do you trust every government that might request data?
- Do you want your children's entire digital history available forever?
Take Action
1Immediate
- Review privacy settings on platforms you use
- Enable any available encryption options
- Limit location sharing and contact uploads
- Delete accounts you no longer use
2Medium-Term
- Move sensitive conversations to Signal or Snugg
- Use privacy-focused alternatives where possible
- Audit which apps have access to your data
3Long-Term
- Migrate friend groups to privacy-respecting platforms
- Support legislation protecting digital privacy
- Teach friends and family about data collection
Ready for Real Privacy?
Snugg is built from the ground up for privacy. Not as an afterthought. Not as a marketing claim. As the foundation.
- 14-day free trial (no credit card)
- €3/month for founding members
- Open source & independently audited
- Your data stays yours—forever
A safe space for your people.