Matrix Metadata Problem: the server sees everything except your messages

People pick Matrix because of end-to-end encryption. But E2EE only protects message content — everything around it is plaintext.

The server sees:

  • Your ID, IP, client type and version, device you use
  • Your presence, typing status, read receipts
  • Which rooms you join and when you join/leave
  • Who else is in those rooms → your entire social graph
  • Room names, topics, avatars (all plaintext state)
  • For every message: who sent it, which room, a millisecond timestamp, type, size

And federation copies most of that to every other server whose users are in the room. Your “social footprint” isn’t one copy — it’s as many as there are servers.

  • dropdrip@lemmy.ml
    31·
    9 days ago

    Matrix was always a terrible protocol made by Zionists to embed themselves into government and corporate channels whilst posturing itself as ‘secure’ and independent (self-hosted). Critics said over and over: it’s shit. Now those duped are getting defensive. Good ploy mossad. Overall it’s been very effective.

    This isn’t support for Signal either. It’s shit too.

    The problem is users. Always has been.