Privacy - Noiz

Signal vs WhatsApp: Continuity, Data Control and Compliance

Noiz — Sun, 24 May 2026 12:14:25 +0000

My phone stopped working this morning. Within minutes I had lost access to every WhatsApp conversation I was in the middle of — including active client threads — and there was nothing I could do about it from any other device.

Most businesses have made WhatsApp critical infrastructure without ever deciding to. Client enquiries, approvals, support requests, scheduling — it all accumulates there because it is convenient. But convenient is not the same as dependable, private, or legally sound. This article examines WhatsApp through the three lenses that matter most to a business — continuity, data control, and compliance — and makes the case for moving that communication to Signal.

What is Signal?

Signal is a free, open-source messaging application built by the Signal Foundation, a non-profit. It is not owned by an advertising company, it carries no ads, and it is funded by donations and grants. It runs on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its encryption is so well regarded that WhatsApp itself licenses Signal’s protocol — the difference between the two products is everything built around that shared protocol, and that is what the rest of this article is about.

Continuity: you can lose access overnight

WhatsApp ties your account to a single physical phone, and that access can be taken away from you in two ways.

The first is account suspension. WhatsApp bans and locks accounts regularly, often with no clear reason and no effective route of appeal. I have had this happen — an account holding years of client history, gone, with no path to recovery. For a business, that is not an inconvenience; it is the sudden loss of a communication channel and all of its records at once.

The second is the device itself. WhatsApp’s account identity is anchored to a phone. If that phone breaks, is lost, or is stolen — as mine did this morning — access stops until a replacement is in hand and the account re-registered. WhatsApp’s linked devices help, but they are companions to the phone; the account still lives and dies with it. For Linux users there is not even a proper desktop client — tools like Whatsie are wrappers around WhatsApp Web and do not carry your chat history.

Signal handles this differently. Signal Desktop is a genuine native application — not a browser wrapper — available for Windows, macOS, and Linux alike, so Linux users get a real client with full chat history rather than a browser tab. A linked Signal desktop keeps working while your phone is offline, and Signal is actively developing a fully standalone desktop client that will not require a phone at all. Your access to your own conversations should not be hostage to one fragile device staying intact and in your pocket.

Data control: your data is not in your hands

WhatsApp is owned by Meta, a company whose business is advertising. The contents of your messages are encrypted, but the metadata around them is not protected in the same way — who you contact, when, how often, and from where. Metadata alone is enough to map a business’s relationships, clients, and working patterns, and Meta’s privacy policy permits WhatsApp data to be shared across the wider Meta group. When the platform carrying your client communication is run by an advertising company, the confidentiality of that communication is not fully in your hands.

Signal is built on the opposite premise. Every message, call, and file is end-to-end encrypted by default, with no unencrypted mode to fall back to. More importantly for a business, Signal collects almost nothing. When it was subpoenaed by a US grand jury, the only data it could produce was the date the account was created and the date it last connected. There was nothing else to hand over. A feature called Sealed Sender means even Signal’s own servers cannot see who is messaging whom.

Because Signal is open source — its client and server code are both public — these claims are verifiable rather than promised. Independent researchers can and do audit it. WhatsApp’s code is closed; its security is something you take on trust. Signal’s is something you, or anyone, can check. For organisations with stricter requirements, Signal can also be configured to route traffic through your own proxy server.

Compliance: where it becomes a legal problem

This is where the argument moves from good practice to legal exposure.

Because Meta is a United States company, WhatsApp falls under the US CLOUD Act (2018), which lets US authorities compel American companies to hand over data wherever in the world it is stored — including on servers inside the EU. That sits in direct tension with GDPR. Data hosted in Dublin or Frankfurt but controlled by a US corporation remains reachable under US law. Data residency is not the same as data sovereignty.

This is not theoretical. In May 2023 the Irish Data Protection Commission fined Meta €1.2 billion — the largest GDPR penalty on record — for unlawfully transferring EU user data to the United States. That case concerned Facebook, but it is the same company, the same US jurisdiction, and the same transfer exposure that govern WhatsApp.

The EU Data Act, fully applicable since September 2025, responds directly to this conflict: Chapter VII requires providers operating in the EU to take measures preventing unlawful non-EU government access to data. For Irish businesses, NIS2 — being transposed through the National Cyber Security Bill — adds cybersecurity risk-management duties across a widening range of sectors. Routing sensitive operational communication through a platform under foreign jurisdiction is a risk-management weakness under that regime.

For South African businesses, POPIA imposes comparable obligations. Its purpose-limitation principle sits awkwardly with a platform that feeds communication metadata into a global advertising operation, and POPIA’s rules on cross-border transfers require the destination to offer adequate protection — something the CLOUD Act’s reach directly complicates.

Signal, as a non-profit that stores no metadata, has effectively nothing to compel and no commercial incentive that puts it at odds with regulators. For any business with genuine compliance obligations, that is a material difference.

If your business operates in a regulated sector and you would like to understand your communication security obligations more fully, Noiz’s cybersecurity services include communication security assessments.

What you gain day to day

None of this comes at the cost of usability. Signal is a fully featured messaging app, and several of its features are genuinely useful for business:

Screen sharing during calls: Share your screen, or ask a client to share theirs, during a support call or consultation — without bringing in Zoom or Teams, and with the call still fully encrypted. For remote support and onboarding this is a practical, private alternative to platforms that capture session data of their own.
Disappearing messages: Set messages to delete automatically after a configurable period, per conversation — useful for keeping sensitive exchanges from accumulating indefinitely.
Usernames: Communicate using a username instead of exposing your personal phone number to clients and contacts.
Encrypted group calls: End-to-end encrypted group voice and video for team and client calls.

Anyone who can use WhatsApp can use Signal. The interface is familiar within minutes.

Making the switch

The one real obstacle is that Signal has fewer users than WhatsApp, so switching means asking the people you communicate with to install it. The answer is not to move everything at once. Start with your most sensitive conversations — clients handling confidential information, your accountant, your legal contacts — and keep WhatsApp for the contacts who are not ready yet. The balance shifts over time as more of your network adopts it.

Signal is free, and installing it takes about two minutes: https://signal.org.

Noiz’s position

Noiz uses Signal exclusively for internal communication and recommends it to clients. That is not a philosophical preference — it is a decision based on who controls the platform, what it collects, what jurisdiction it answers to, and how easily access to it can be lost.

If you want help moving your team to Signal, or a broader review of how your business communicates and where that creates exposure, get in touch.

The post Signal vs WhatsApp: Continuity, Data Control and Compliance first appeared on Noiz.

The rise of the dumb phones – and why they’re not the answer to digital ID

Noiz — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 13:02:49 +0000

Resisting control in a digital age

Across the United Kingdom, the European Union, and beyond, public concern around digital ID systems is growing rapidly. Millions of people are pushing back against government and corporate efforts to link personal identity, banking, and movement to centralized databases. In response, a quiet rebellion has begun — the return of the “dumb” phones.

Also known as “feature phones,” dumb phones are simple devices reminiscent of the early 2000s — models like the classic Nokia 3310. They make calls, send texts, and do little else. For many, they represent an escape from constant tracking and algorithmic manipulation — a symbolic rejection of the “smart” surveillance economy.

The problem: GSM networks are already surveillable

While the impulse to disconnect is understandable, switching to a dumb phone offers little real protection. GSM networks — the mobile infrastructure that carries calls and texts on these older devices — are inherently unsecure and surveillable. Governments and intelligence agencies can intercept GSM traffic with off-the-shelf hardware, and many regions still allow lawful interception without meaningful oversight.

Even without internet access, your location, call metadata, and contact patterns are visible to carriers and accessible to authorities. Turning off apps doesn’t turn off tracking — it just moves it lower in the stack. The surveillance shifts from digital profiling to network-level monitoring, where users have even less control or visibility.

The smarter rebellion: privacy phones

Rather than stepping backwards in technology, there’s a growing movement toward taking technology back. Modern privacy phones represent a practical and principled alternative — devices that embrace open-source systems and encrypted communication while rejecting surveillance capitalism.

Unlike dumb phones, a privacy phone can run end-to-end encrypted messengers like Signal and BitChat, keeping your communications private even across monitored networks. With tools such as Mullvad VPN and LNVPN, users can encrypt all data traffic, obfuscate their real IP address, and even use non-KYC eSIMs for anonymous connectivity. Both Mullvad and LNVPN accept private cryptocurrency, like Monero, allowing you to stay fully outside the identity-linked payment system that digital ID frameworks depend on.

For communication beyond messaging, privacy phones also support PGP-encrypted email through open-source clients such as Thunderbird, ensuring your correspondence stays private even across traditional mail servers.

Cutting off your nose to spite your face

The philosophical case against dumb phones is not about mocking simplicity — it’s about recognizing that abandoning modern tools doesn’t stop control systems; it merely removes your ability to resist them effectively. Real resistance happens when you understand the system and fork it toward your own goals: freedom, autonomy, and privacy.

Walking away from the digital world entirely is akin to cutting off your own nose to spite your face. Connectivity, encryption, and computation can serve freedom just as easily as they serve surveillance — if you choose the right hardware and software. The solution isn’t to hide from technology, but to reclaim it.

The practical path forward

Using a dumb phone may feel safer, but it’s largely symbolic. The better path is to use open-source, hardened devices that let you communicate securely while staying off the data-harvesting radar. A deGoogled privacy phone running GrapheneOS or a similar operating system gives you the best of both worlds: digital freedom without digital compromise.

When paired with privacy-respecting tools — Signal, BitChat, Mullvad, LNVPN, Tor — you gain control over your communications, network footprint, and identity exposure. Combined with pgp-encrypted mail and other privacy-first, these devices can completely replace the functionality of mainstream smartphones — without surrendering your autonomy or data to third parties. That’s not a step backward; it’s a step into a parallel, freer digital ecosystem.

Freedom through technology, not from it

Technology itself isn’t the enemy. The danger lies in centralized control and unchecked data collection. By using devices and systems designed for privacy and decentralization, individuals and groups can resist coercive digital policies while remaining effective, connected, and informed. The goal is not isolation — it’s independence.

So before reaching for a dumb phone, consider a smarter rebellion. Choose a device that lets you stay private without disappearing. Choose a privacy phone.

The post The rise of the dumb phones – and why they’re not the answer to digital ID first appeared on Noiz.

Privacy Coins: Exploring Monero as a Leading Solution for Financial Anonymity

Noiz — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 13:48:16 +0000

Updated: 18 October 2026

In the evolving landscape of digital currencies, privacy coins represent a critical advancement in safeguarding user anonymity and transactional confidentiality. Among these, Monero stands out as a premier privacy coin, offering robust features that address the growing concerns over financial surveillance and data exposure in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. This article delves into the fundamentals of privacy coins, with a particular emphasis on Monero, examining their significance for human rights, their potential as a digital replacement for cash, and their applications in peer-to-peer transactions and decentralized finance. Drawing from authoritative sources, including expert analyses and key presentations, we highlight Monero’s distinctive attributes while contrasting it with other examples and underscoring the privacy shortcomings of Bitcoin.

What Are Privacy Coins?

Privacy coins are a specialized category of cryptocurrencies designed to enhance user anonymity and obscure transaction details, thereby reducing traceability on the blockchain. Unlike standard cryptocurrencies, which often maintain transparent ledgers, privacy coins employ advanced cryptographic techniques to conceal sender identities, recipient addresses, and transaction amounts.^[1] These mechanisms ensure that transactions remain confidential, mirroring the privacy inherent in traditional cash exchanges.

Monero (XMR), for instance, integrates three core privacy technologies: ring signatures, which mix a user’s transaction with others to obscure the origin; ring confidential transactions (RingCT), which hide transaction amounts; and stealth addresses, which generate unique, one-time addresses for each transaction to prevent linkage to a user’s wallet.^[2] This combination makes Monero inherently private by default, distinguishing it from cryptocurrencies where privacy is optional or absent.^[3] As a result, Monero provides a high level of fungibility, ensuring that each unit of the currency is interchangeable without the risk of taint from prior transactions.^[4]

Other notable examples include Zcash (ZEC), which utilizes zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs) for selective transparency, allowing users to opt into shielded transactions;^[5] Pirate Chain (ARRR), which combines zk-SNARKs with mandatory privacy to enforce complete anonymity;^[6] Firo (formerly Zcoin), employing Lelantus protocol for private transactions and minting;^[7] and the now abandoned Ghost project, which focuses on private peer-to-peer marketplaces.^[8] These coins vary in their approaches but share the goal of prioritizing user privacy in an increasingly monitored digital economy.

The Importance of Privacy Coins for Human Rights

Privacy coins play a pivotal role in upholding human rights by protecting individuals from unwarranted financial surveillance and enabling free expression in oppressive environments. In regions where governments restrict financial freedoms or monitor transactions to suppress dissent, these coins serve as a tool for preserving personal autonomy and the right to privacy.^[9] Advocates argue that financial privacy is a fundamental human right, essential for safeguarding against discrimination, censorship, and economic exclusion.^[10]

For example, privacy coins can facilitate the “right to be forgotten” under data protection frameworks, as their anonymity features prevent perpetual tracking of financial histories.^[11] In authoritarian contexts, they empower activists, journalists, and vulnerable populations to conduct transactions without fear of reprisal, thereby supporting freedom of association and expression.^[12] Monero, in particular, has been recognized for its cypherpunk roots, attracting users who value these protections in the face of global surveillance trends.^[13]

An authoritative perspective on this topic is provided in the presentation “Monero: Sound Money, Safe Mode” by Dr. Daniel Kim, a particle physicist and cryptocurrency consultant. In the video, Dr. Kim emphasizes Monero’s role in bridging traditional asset protection with grassroots cryptocurrency culture, highlighting its importance for humanity amid financial crises. He notes, “I’m doing this because I personally feel that this is an important project for humanity. I think it’s important for people to speak out and make their voices heard on matters like this.”^[14] This underscores Monero’s alignment with broader human rights imperatives. View the full presentation here: Monero: Sound Money, Safe Mode.

Similarly, the documentary “Monero Means Money: Cryptocurrency 101” explores Monero’s contextual significance in the cryptocurrency landscape, positioning it as a defender of privacy rights against fiat and surveillance-heavy systems.^[15] Access it here: Monero Means Money: Cryptocurrency 101.

Privacy Coins as a Replacement for Cash

In an era of digitizing economies, privacy coins like Monero emerge as a viable digital equivalent to physical cash, offering anonymity and fungibility without intermediaries.^[16] Traditional cash allows for private, peer-to-peer exchanges without records, a feature eroded by cashless societies and traceable digital payments. Privacy coins restore this by enabling confidential transactions that resist third-party oversight.^[17]

Monero exemplifies this replacement, functioning as “sound money” with low fees and private exchanges, much like cash in everyday use.^[18] This is particularly relevant in post-pandemic economies, where digital alternatives to cash are sought for hygiene and convenience without sacrificing privacy.^[19] Other privacy coins, such as Zcash and Pirate Chain, similarly aim to replicate cash’s untraceable nature, though Monero’s mandatory privacy sets a benchmark.^[20]

Applications in Peer-to-Peer and Decentralized Finance

Privacy coins facilitate secure peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions and integrate seamlessly into decentralized finance (DeFi), where anonymity enhances user control and reduces risks from data breaches.^[21] In P2P exchanges, they enable direct, private transfers without centralized platforms, fostering true decentralization.^[22] Within DeFi, privacy coins support anonymous lending, borrowing, and trading, protecting users from exploitation in open ledgers.^[23]

Monero’s decentralized P2P exchanges exemplify this, allowing users to trade privately while maintaining network integrity.^[24] Coins like Ghost emphasize private marketplaces, while Zcash and Firo offer privacy in DeFi protocols.^[25]

The Lack of Privacy in Bitcoin: A Surveillance Concern

Bitcoin, while revolutionary, lacks inherent privacy, rendering its blockchain a tool for financial surveillance.^[26] Its transparent ledger exposes transaction histories, enabling governments and entities to trace funds without user consent.^[27] Without specialized processes like mixers or CoinJoin, Bitcoin transactions are pseudonymous at best, vulnerable to de-anonymization through chain analysis.^[28] This transparency heightens risks of surveillance, identity theft, and regulatory overreach, contrasting sharply with the built-in protections of privacy coins.^[29]

Summary

In summary, privacy coins, led by Monero, address these deficiencies, promoting a more equitable digital financial system. As regulatory landscapes evolve, their role in defending privacy will likely grow, making them indispensable for users prioritizing security and autonomy.

References

The post Privacy Coins: Exploring Monero as a Leading Solution for Financial Anonymity first appeared on Noiz.

[noiz] – send | secure file sharing

Noiz — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 07:44:56 +0000

Exciting news! I’ve just launched a new online file sharing tool similar to WeTransfer. You can access the tool here: send.noiz.ie

Why?

Email was never designed for sending large digital files, but In today’s data-centric world, reliance on the ability to send large digital files and documents has increased beyond the limits of email.

Online file sharing systems like WeTransfer are great, but not everyone trusts that the data is private, and we don’t know if they encrypt your data. That is why I am now offering [noiz] – send.

What does [noiz] – send do?

[noiz] – send lets you share files with end-to-end encryption and a link that automatically expires. You can keep what you share private and make sure your data doesn’t stay online forever.

Features:

Share your files privately and securely.
Password encrypt your files for maximum security.
Choose how long you want your download link to be available.
Choose the number of downloads available for your link.
It’s free, as in money and in freedom.
Best of all, it can be directly integrated with Thunderbird email client, for those attachments that are too big.

How do I use it?

From a browser, simply navigate to send.noiz.ie
Choose “Select files to upload”, or drag and drop files into the browser window
Select either your maximum number of downloads, or maximum number of days the download link will be valid for
Optionally, set a password by checking the “Protect with password” box and inputting a password. Note that you will need to send this password to the person downloading the files.
Click ‘Upload”
That’s it! Your file is encrypted and ready to send.
Copy the link to share your file.

Watch the video:

Note:

This tool is currently in beta, but can be used safely to send files to your family, friends, customers or enemies. If you experience any issues, please feel free to reach out.

There is currently a 2.5GB limit on the free platform. If you need to send larger files consistently, let me know and we can make arrangements.

Happy sending.

The post [noiz] – send | secure file sharing first appeared on Noiz.

Use Signal – Why we ditched WhatsApp and switched to Signal

Noiz — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 09:14:02 +0000

It’s no secret that we don’t like proprietary software. One of the foundational principles of Noiz is to use open source software and hardware, that respects and protects a users privacy and Freedom. Signal messenger certainly aligns with those values, whilst WhatsApp simply does not.

What’s wrong with WhatsApp?

In short; nothing, provided you are not too worried about privacy, surveillance, censorship or human behavioral modification.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular and widely used instant messaging platforms. It is owned and developed by Meta (formerly Facebook), and uses the Signal protocol for it’s own (alleged) end-to-end encryption.

With that being said, we have some major issues with WhatsApp, which has lead to our decision to use Signal exclusively, for the protection of our own communications, as well the communications of our clients.

WhatsApp is not truly end-to-end encrypted.

In a brief, anonymous interview which took place between our founder and a high ranking active member of law enforcement, it was confirmed that Meta provides specific port access, enabling law enforcement worldwide to access and read user messages, listen to calls, and access various data collected by WhatsApp from the device over time.

This level of access to private communication is a violation of an individuals right to privacy, as enshrined in most of the worlds constitutions, regardless of the reason given for the access, or to whom such access is granted.

If law enforcement can access supposedly encrypted communications, then so can corrupted state officials and other malicious actors. This ‘backdoor’ access exposes an individual to a much broader cyber attack surface, which is why end-to-and encryption has become a highly valuable protocol for the protection of user data.

WhatsApp gathers way more information from your device than it needs.

If you have ever read WhatsApp’s privacy policy, you would have immediately recognized the sheer amount of your data that is being collected and sent back to Meta for processing.

WhatsApp has access to all of the media on your device, including photos, videos and audio. It has access to your location, your movement history, your contacts, near field contacts, photos of your face, access to your camera and microphone, and so much more.

One might think that this information is collected in order to make the app ‘better’ for it’s users, or for marketing. However the implications of this mass data collection run so much deeper.

Often times we hear the phrase “I have nothing to hide”, a semi-reasonable way to dismiss the need for privacy which does not address a genuine problem. Those who are familiar with Edward Snowden might recall his response to this idea, specifically;

“Saying you don’t care about privacy because you have nothing to hide, is like saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say”.

Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos.

We are not as concerned about what our users are doing, as we are with the intentions, abilities and actions of those collecting the data.

One of our major concerns is paid state propaganda, delivered directly to a user, curated based on behavioral and psychological models.

Information collected by WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram is attached to your profile, which moves with you throughout your life, gathering behavioral information and emotional data. This data is then used to curate political and ideological messaging in a way which is most likely to be received and acted upon. In a momentary lapse of critical judgement, or in a heightened emotional state, an individual might accept a curated message into their world view, without context or validation. This process can be magnified through ‘cognitive bias’, or the proverbial ‘echo chamber’ effects.

The solution to this vulnerability in human psychology (which is often exploited by religious cults, marketers, and propagandists), is to not allow the collection of unnecessary data in the first place. In our view, software developers should develop with an individuals freedom being the highest priority during the design.

Simply put, we prefer to use software which truly does encrypt communications, and collects only that data which is necessary for the functioning of the application.

Signal messenger meets this criteria.

Why Signal better for privacy.

Signal messenger is end-to-and encrypted by default, it collects the bare minimum amount of data, and the source code is open source, which means that any ‘back door’ access is highly unlikely.

Who should care about privacy.

Most individuals think in terms of convenience, rather than in terms of principals. Because of this, the need for privacy is not a major concern for most people, although it should be. Everyone should care about privacy in communications, especially in the protection of;

Journalism,
activism,
intellectual property,
human rights,
etc.

Signal messenger recently introduced the ability to use a username, rather than having only a mobile number as a unique identifier. This allows a Signal user to remain pseudonymous, using a username to build trust during communications over time, but without giving away the individuals true identity.

Pseudonymous essentially means to use an alias in order to hide a users identity. This is different from privacy, which means that individuals know who they are talking to, but the conversation is only accessible to those with access. It is also different from anonymity where nothing at all is known about the individual.

Signal is open source

Signal’s source code is available for anyone to analyze or use. The client applications are licensed under GPLv3, and the server source code is licensed under AGPLv3. This makes the code itself completely auditable by programmers and security experts.

Being open source also means that security vulnerabilities are far less likely.

Speak freely with Signal

As an aside, Noiz recently started selling our deGoogled privacy mobile devices again. Our first refurbished model can be bought from our online store.

All of our deGoogled privacy devices come with Signal messenger installed.

We may also run our own Signal messenger servers in future for greater reliability and security for our local users.

In conclusion, Noiz cybersecurity has a made a promise; to use freedom respecting technologies, which are open source, and which protect a users privacy. We therefore have no choice but to ditch WhatsApp, and instead use Signal messenger.

If you are not sure how to get started with Signal messenger, please visit the foundations website at https://signal.org and speak freely, today.

Editors note

Noiz cybersecurity does not benefit in any way, including financially from the Signal Foundation, or it’s application. I am simply very passionate about the project. Noiz donates a small monthly fee to the foundation for the maintenance of the project, and to secure the future of encrypted communications. I encourage the reader to consider doing the same.

The post Use Signal – Why we ditched WhatsApp and switched to Signal first appeared on Noiz.

The Hidden Wiki

Noiz — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 21:01:43 +0000

What is “The Hidden Wiki”?

The Hidden Wiki, is a website that is accessible using the Tor browser. It is essentially an index of some of the most popular and useful so-called ‘dark web’ sites, and links to the .onion address of some incredible resources.

How do I access The Hidden Wiki?

To access the official .onion site of The Hidden Wiki, you will need the Tor browser, which can be downloaded from their website at https://www.torproject.org/

Next, simply point your browser to their latest v3 domain address here: http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/

Note: Always check that you are pointing to the correct address, as there are many fake mirror sites operating for nefarious purposes.

What is v3?

v3 .onion domains are the new standard for domain naming onion websites. They have 56 characters instead of the previous 16 letters. The point of the change is for increased / stronger cryptography.

Why I love The Hidden Wiki.

Navigating the ‘dark web’ is a sticky trick for beginners, so having a reliable index of services makes the work of navigating safely much easier. They have some great articles for education around censorship resistance, anonymity online, and of course information on the ethos of freedom.

Check out their ‘special pages’ link for some hidden gems: http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/wiki/Special:SpecialPages

Conclusion.

Internet surveillance is becoming more and more prevalent in our every day life. Journalists, activists etc need a safe place to research and communicate without interference. The Hidden Wiki makes finding resources a breeze, and has years of trust behind the project.

Remember to donate to both Tor, and to The Hidden Wiki to keep these projects alive, in the fight for internet and software freedom.

The post The Hidden Wiki first appeared on Noiz.

How to install Monero Wallet on GNU/Linux

Noiz — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 11:06:08 +0000

Monero is a decentralized cryptocurrency that has a primary focus on user privacy. To get started using Monero, The first thing you will need is a Monero Wallet. The Monero Wallet is available on most operating systems, but we focus on Linux systems. You can run a Monero wallet from a Graphical User Interface, or from the command line. It is open source and free to use.

This guide will take you step by step through the instructions of downloading Monero Wallet (both the GUI and CLI versions), verifying the download, and installing the Monero Wallet application on all major Linux distributions.

In this tutorial you will learn:

How to download Monero Wallet
How to verify the integrity of Monero Wallet download
How to install Monero Wallet GUI and CLI version on Linux

Monero

How to install Monero Wallet on Linux (GUI & CLI)

Software Requirements & Linux Command Line Conventions
Category	Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used
System	All GNU/Linux Distributions
Software	Monero Wallet GUI or CLI
Other	Privileged access to your Linux system as root or via the `sudo` command.
Conventions	# – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of `sudo` command $ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user

How to install Monero Wallet on Linux (GUI & CLI) step by step instructions

Downloading Monero Wallet

Start by downloading the latest version of the Monero Wallet application. Navigate to the official Monero download page and grab whichever edition you would like to use – either GUI or command line.

Downloading the Monero Wallet application from the official site
Verify the Monero Wallet Download

Once the download is complete, we will verify the download by checking its GPG signature and SHA256 checksum. First, execute the following wget command in order to download binaryFate’s GPG key, which is used to sign the Monero binary file.
```
$ wget -O binaryfate.asc https://raw.githubusercontent.com/monero-project/monero/master/utils/gpg_keys/binaryfate.asc
```

Verify that the fingerprint of the binaryfate.asc file matches.

$ gpg --keyid-format long --with-fingerprint binaryfate.asc

As long as your fingerprint matches with that below, it is safe to proceed.

pub   rsa4096/F0AF4D462A0BDF92 2019-12-12 [SCEA]
      Key fingerprint = 81AC 591F E9C4 B65C 5806  AFC3 F0AF 4D46 2A0B DF92
uid                           binaryFate

Next, run the following command to import the signing key:
```
$ gpg --import binaryfate.asc
```
Next, we will download the hashes for Monero Wallet with the following wget command.
```
$ wget -O hashes.txt https://www.getmonero.org/downloads/hashes.txt
```
Now we will use this command to verify the signature of the hash file:
```
$ gpg --verify hashes.txt
```
You should see “Good signature” in your output, indicating that this is the proper hashes file. “Bad signature” indicates a problem and you should not proceed further.
As the last part of verification, check the SHA 256 checksum of your downloaded Monero Wallet archive.
```
$ shasum -a 256 monero-gui-linux-x64-v0.17.3.2.tar.bz2
```
Make sure that the returned checksum matches with the one shown in hashes.txt.
Install Monero Wallet

Now we can move on to installing Monero Wallet. Start by extracting the files from the tarball and changing directories to the installation files.
```
$ tar xf monero-gui-linux-x64-v0.17.3.2.tar.bz2
$ cd monero-gui-linux-x64-v0.17.3.2
```
Launch the Monero Wallet installer, which should already be executable.
```
$ ./monero-wallet-gui
OR
$ ./monero-wallet-cli
```
You will go through some ordinary installation prompts, at least on the GUI version. These are mostly self explanatory. The first thing you need to do is select your desired mode.

Select the desired mode during Monero Wallet installation

If you are using the command line version, you will go straight into making a new wallet or specifying where your current one is located.

Installing the Monero Wallet command line version
As a final step during installation, you will create a new Monero Wallet or log in to your existing one.

Either create a new Monero Wallet or log in to your existing one
During installation, the Monero Wallet shortcut should have been added to your system’s application launcher. In case you want to move your Monero Wallet files to a different location, you can open the following file in nano or your preferred text editor and change where the shortcut should look for the application.
```
$ nano ~/.local/share/applications/monero-gui.desktop
```
Editing the Monero Wallet configuration file to set the location for the application

Closing Thoughts

In this tutorial, we saw how to install Monero Wallet on a Linux system. This included both the GUI and command line versions of the application, and these instructions should work across all major Linux distributions. Monero excels in user privacy, and also proves to be very accessible, with clients that cater to a variety of systems.

The post How to install Monero Wallet on GNU/Linux first appeared on Noiz.

Good alternative search engines to DuckDuckGone

Noiz — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 20:51:23 +0000

DuckDuckGo since it’s inception, has positioned itself as a “privacy” respecting alternative to Google search. Why then, are millions of internet users searching for alternative search engines to what is now being called DuckDuckGone?

Generally, users who consider the importance of “privacy”, also naturally consider the importance of free speech and censorship resistance when it comes to finding good information, for making clear decisions.

Privacy and censorship resistance go hand in hand, and since DuckDuckGo decided to position itself an arbiter of truth rather than a privacy respecting search engine, many are looking for alternative search engines.

Why was DuckDuckGone trending on Twitter?

Gabriel Weinberg, the CEO of DuckDuckGo recently disavowed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while simultaneously claiming to be “transcending” politics through the decision to enable the censorship of Russian media.

The hypocritical political decision has left thousands of search engine users looking for alternatives, and disavowing the search engine with the hashtag #duckduckgone

To help in this effort, I have compiled a list of alternative search engines that do not (as far as I am aware) engage in political censorship.

Here are some alternatives to DuckDuckGone:

Searx
Open source, private and uncensored
Needs some setting up before searching safely (do not use public instances)
https://www.searx.me (gives info about the project and list of instances)

MetaGer
Open source and private search engine based in Germany
Contains Ads (i.e. from Bing), Ad free is available with membership
https://metager.org/

Mojeek
Uses its own crawlers and its private – Based in UK
https://www.mojeek.com/

Swisscows
Private search engine based in Switzerland
https://swisscows.com

Qwant
Private search engine based in France
https://www.qwant.com/

Brave Search
Private search engine based in US
https://search.brave.com/

And as requested by a reader;

Presearch
A privacy respecting, decentralized search engine, powered by blockchain.
https://presearch.com/

Noiz devices come with two great privacy respecting browsers. We set either Brave Search, or Swisscows as the default search engines within the browser on each device.

Be sure to check out our online store for privacy respecting deGoogled smartphones.

The post Good alternative search engines to DuckDuckGone first appeared on Noiz.

How to use Monero (XMR)

Noiz — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 18:55:31 +0000

Monero is a privacy respecting electronic cash that allows for fast, inexpensive payments to and from anywhere in the world where every transaction is private and completely untraceable.

Get Started

Set up your Wallet

Paying in Monero is easy. But first you are going to need a Monero wallet. There are plenty of platforms to choose from but we recommend CakeWallet. Download Cake and follow the instructions to get set up and create your very own Monero (XMR) wallet.

Get some Monero (XMR)

Now you’re all set up, you need some Monero. To do this, first create a new Bitcoin (BTC) Wallet in Cake, then click ‘Buy’ to use ApplePay/Card Payments to buy Bitcoin and exchange it for Monero. Easy!

Pay Invoices using Monero

Simply select ‘crypto payments’ as your Payment Method on your outstanding invoices. We will provide you with a wallet address; just choose ‘Send’ from your new Monero wallet and paste the address.

You can also send us Monero by scanning the QR code below address from your Cake wallet App instead. Just remember to let us know you’ve paid by sending us the Transaction ID and the Invoice Number to info@noiz.ie or via Telegram

For more getting-started options and further information, visit getmonero.org

Visit our shop to buy something or;

Donate here:

44BtMn9izxH8mK2yFbSdY6Di7TNobkLbnHdZ6gZQjukCME5vsNhtPRtH4TcVkDHKHLhSpAJbsjv8gCdYuSZVMpXgMkUC1hV

The post How to use Monero (XMR) first appeared on Noiz.