Messengers
Briar privacy rating
Peer-to-peer encrypted messenger for Android and desktop that syncs over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Messages, forums and blogs are stored only on users' devices.
Summary
Briar scores 94 out of 100 (grade A) on the messengers criteria. It meets 7 of 8 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, end-to-end encrypted by default, no phone number needed, metadata protection and decentralized. It partly meets independent audit.
Score 94 out of 100. How scoring works
Criteria
- Yes
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Yes
No trackers or telemetry Weight 3 of 3
Are the website and apps free of third-party trackers, with any analytics anonymous and any telemetry off by default?
The privacy policy states no information is collected about how Briar is used; feedback and crash reports are opt-in.
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Yes
No ads or data sales Weight 2 of 3
Is the product funded without advertising, ad targeting or selling user data?
Funded by grants and donations, with no ads.
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Partial
Independent audit Weight 2 of 3
Has an independent security or privacy audit been published within the last three years?
A full Cure53 audit report is public but is older than three years.
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Yes
End-to-end encrypted by default Weight 3 of 3
Are all chats, including groups, end-to-end encrypted by default?
All communication between devices is end-to-end encrypted.
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Yes
No phone number needed Weight 2 of 3
Can an account be created without a phone number?
Accounts are created on the device with a nickname and password, with no phone number or email.
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Yes
Metadata protection Weight 2 of 3
Does the service minimize who-talks-to-whom metadata (for example sealed sender or no user identifiers)?
Messages sync directly over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and contact lists are stored only on the device.
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Yes
Decentralized Weight 1 of 3
Can people run their own server or talk peer to peer?
Peer to peer with no central server.