Have you seen this news?
#Mastodon just got funding to add end to end encryption into their software.
So, some time next year, youāll be able to send truly private messages to the vast majority of the #Fediverse
Im so excited about this.
Because itās an open spec, this opens the doors for every Fediverse app to join the party.
Yesterday, this project was a proof of concept. Today, Mastodon has turned it into a stampede.
https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2026/04/sovereign-tech-agency-funding/
@benpate I'm wondering what the advantage of e2ee private messages on Mastodon is when we have Signal, Matrix and other robust encrypted messaging tools that you could invite a friend to if you want to have a private conversation.
Is anyone worried about this creating moderation issues?
Generally I'm in favor of privacy and security, but I'm just not sure what the value of this feature is on Mastodon. Maybe you or others can provide your perspective on this.
I donāt have all the answers, but I believe thereās a network effect at work.
Signal is fantastic. I use it for lots of things. But itās āyet anotherā place to go.
But the Fediverse is my primary place to talk with people (like you)
If you and I could have a truly private follow-on discussion without switching networks, it would be a win for the Fediverse.
Signal also has 50 employees and money in the bank to pay the lawyers.
@jaz @benpate @earth_walker Signal is also a centralized service controlled by a very few people with the ability to be blocked and cut off easily.
I don't see E2EE fedi as competition for Signal, it's just a way to ensure comms are at least somewhat protected. Is there something complex about the implementation that makes you feel you are operating a E2EE service beyond the fact that Masto servers already do that via TLS?
@reflex @benpate @earth_walker
I'm not trying to be snide here, I mean this very literally.
I don't know what I don't know about operating an E2EE, patio, porn, or recycling business. All I know is they are all regulated, require licensing, insurance, have wildly different requirements in different jurisdictions.
I've done the work for operating social media services.
I have no intention of doing the work for any of the other services listed.
(Export controls come to mind though.)
Ben Pate š¤š»
senna.apk
jaz 
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