Briar is a messaging app created for activists, journalists, and anyone else who wants a safe, easy and strong method to communicate. Unlike traditional messengers such as email, Twitter or Telegram, Briar doesn’t depend on a central server, the messages are synchronized directly using a peer-to-peer network.
If the internet’s down, the messenger can synchronize via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, keeping the data flowing in a crisis. If the internet’s up, Briar can synchronize via the Tor network, securing users and their connections from monitoring.
According to briarproject.org:
“The app encrypts all data end-to-end and also hides metadata about who is communicating. This is the next step in the evolution of secure messaging. No communication ever enters the public internet. Everything is sent via the Tor anonymity network or local networks.”
The app doesn’t require you to upload your whole address book to someone’s server. Actually, it doesn’t even allow that to not reveal your metadata. Alternatively, it goes back to the good old way of personal connections. You need to add your first connections by meeting the other users face-to-face to establish maximum trust by scanning each others QR codes. Your connection is authenticated right from the origin and you can always be sure who you are talking to.
“Briar’s goal is to enable people in any country to create safe spaces where they can debate any topic, plan events, and organize social movements”