Messaging applications have become an essential component of our everyday lives in the digital era. On the other hand, the development of many popular centralized messaging applications has raised questions about security, confidentiality, and data control. This has prompted dApp developers like Beldex to provide a decentralized and open source Web3 messaging solution that respects user confidentiality.
Decentralized messengers provide greater anonymity and security than traditional messaging apps. In this article, we will look at a few of the drawbacks of centralized messengers and the top ten reasons why you should use a decentralized messenger.
Concerns In Centralized Messaging Applications
Before diving into the reasons to choose a decentralized messaging app, we can look at some of the issues in the centralized messaging applications.
Data Confidentiality
Concerns about data confidentiality are one of the most serious drawbacks of centralized messaging programs. When you use these platforms to transmit messages, photographs, and videos, your information is frequently kept on the app’s servers. This implies that the business that runs the messaging app has a record of your interactions and can pass on this information to third parties.
Recent controversies and data breaches have raised concerns about the security of user data on centralized platforms, increasing concerns about who has access to our confidential discussions.
Ineffective End-to-End Encryption
While end-to-end encryption is available in certain centralized messaging apps, it is not constantly a standard setting. End-to-end encryption means that only you and the receiver can see the communications, rendering them unreadable by hackers or the platform itself.
In many situations, however, centralized applications do not use end-to-end encryption, exposing your data to recording and tracking. Even if they do use end-to-end encryption, a lot of these messengers track metadata that can be used to deanonymize or identify you.
Censorship and centralized authority
The laws and restrictions of the firms that run centralized messaging applications apply according to the Jurisdiction they are based in or provide their services in. Because of this concentrated management, these firms are allowed to filter and restrict material. Messages and accounts can be stopped or deleted for a variety of reasons, such as shadow banning specific accounts, at their discretion.
While some restraint is required, it may occasionally raise worries about freedom of speech and the concentration of influence in the hands of a few.
Unplanned Downtime and Interruptions
For operation, centralized messaging applications rely on the company’s servers. As a result, they are vulnerable to downtime and failures. When these platforms have technological challenges, communication is disrupted, which can have serious effects, especially in a commercial usage or in case of an emergency. Users have limited control over these interruptions, which may be both irritating and ineffective.
Personalization and Development are Constrained
A single corporation or group develops and maintains centralized messaging apps. This frequently results in restricted customizability and a lack of inventiveness. Users are often restricted to the company’s features and upgrades, with minimal possibility for customization or incorporation of third-party tools.
Who Will Benefit From A Decentralized Messenger?
- Anyone who wants requires a secure communication line.
- Individuals who worry about their personal information being taken and shared without their permission.
- Journalists and activists who need an encrypted interaction tool to discuss confidential data while keeping their sources safe.
- Safe interaction with clients, consumers, and team members is a top priority for businesses.
- For discussion of important topics, government officials and politicians demand safe means of communication.
Top 10 Reasons To Choose Decentralized Messengers
1. Improved Confidentiality and Security
By structure, decentralized messengers favor user security. Decentralized messengers, as opposed to centralized versions, frequently employ end-to-end encryption and maintain information on a blockchain. This dramatically minimizes the danger of data breaches and unwanted access, allowing users to communicate in a more secure environment.
2. Data Owned by Users
Users are empowered by decentralized messengers because they have authority and ownership over their data. Messages, files, and other kinds of communication are typically saved on a blockchain, guaranteeing that individuals retain control over their data. This move from centralized control to user ownership is consistent with the decentralized web values.
3. Censorship-Resistance
Communication platforms are susceptible to censorship and surveillance in many regions of the world. Because there is no central authority that may regulate or restrict communication, decentralized messengers based on blockchain technology are prone to censorship. This is especially crucial for users in areas where information flow is strictly controlled.
4. Worldwide Accessibility
Decentralized messengers function on a worldwide basis without, users can connect directly without depending on a central server. This not only allows for secure communication but also allows users to communicate with others all over the world without restrictions to locality. With BChat, any users from any part of the world can communicate with their counterparts. The messages have low latency comparable to any centralized messaging system.
5. Reduced Intermediary Reliance
To enable communication, traditional messaging services frequently rely on centralized servers and intermediates. Decentralized messengers, on the other hand, work on a peer-to-peer basis, removing the need for middlemen. This decreases not just the risk of server disruptions, but also the effect of third-party organizations on the communication process. BChat uses the masternodes on the Beldex network that act as peer-to-peer servers relaying information in a decentralized manner. Currently, there are over 1800 masternodes distributed across the world.
6. Token Economy
Some decentralized messengers employ crytocurrencies or tokens as user incentives. Earning tokens for joining the network, maintaining a node, or helping with the platform’s development is one example. Cryptocurrency integration encourages users to interact with the platform while supporting a decentralized environment. BDX is the coin that fuels BChat and the extended Beldex ecosystem.
7. Immutable Records
Blockchain technology ensures that once a message is sent, it cannot be altered or deleted. This feature can be crucial for maintaining a transparent and reliable communication history, which is particularly useful in professional or legal contexts.
8. Endurance in the Face of Downtime and Threats
DDoS assaults and server failures are two examples of how centralized platforms may be attacked. Decentralized messengers are more resistant to crimes since they distribute themselves throughout a network of nodes. Even if certain nodes fail, the network as a whole continues to operate, providing continuous communication.
9. Development Supported by the Community
Many decentralized messengers are open-source applications created by enthusiastic groups of people. This grassroots approach promotes creativity, openness, and responsibility. Users may actively contribute to the development process by offering comments, suggesting changes, and contributing to the messenger’s progress. Anyone who wishes to participate in the development of the BChat messenger can reach out to outreach@beldex.io or contact our admins on Telegram or Discord.
10. Communication Suitable for the Future
The decentralized form of these messengers corresponds to the goal of a decentralized network, often known as Web3. Users participate in the move away from centralized authority over digital communication by using a decentralized messenger. This perspective assures that consumers are a part of the gradual move toward a more safe, secure, and user-centric internet.
Closing Thoughts
Decentralized messengers are altering our opinions of communication. They provide improved confidentiality, security, and data control, making them an appealing alternative to standard, centralized messaging programs. While decentralized messengers may not have a comparable number of users as giants like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, they are growing in popularity as more people appreciate the significance of securing their digital identity and communication.
If you treasure your confidentiality and security, it is worthwhile to investigate BChat messenger and transition to a safer and more confidential chatting experience.
To know more about us, follow our social media
Telegram | Twitter | Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Medium | CoinMarketCap
