#matrixprotocol — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #matrixprotocol, aggregated by home.social.
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🔐 TIL: The padlock in your Matrix client is lying to you. Well... not lying. Just not telling you the whole truth.
So you've got a padlock icon in Element. Your messages are encrypted. You're basically a spy now, right?
Not quite, friend.
There are two things going on in E2EE, and most people only ever learn about one of them. Today I learned the hard way — and now you don't have to.
🔒 Encryption scrambles your messages into gibberish that only the right keys can unlock. Happens automatically. The padlock is always on. Beautiful. Revolutionary. Table stakes.
🛡️ Verification is the part the cypherpunks actually care about.
Encryption secures the channel. Verification confirms who's actually holding the keys at the other end. Skip it, and you're encrypting to keys that merely claim to belong to your contact. Most of the time? Fine. But a compromised homeserver could theoretically slide a fake key into the exchange and silently hoover up everything you thought was for their eyes only.
That's not paranoia. That's the threat model.
The fix? Emoji. I'm not even joking. Matrix generates a set of emoji from a shared cryptographic value and shows them to both users simultaneously. If you both see the same little parade of cartoon faces — the handshake is mathematically genuine. No interception possible. It takes 30 seconds and feels absolutely ridiculous right up until you realise it's the same cryptographic ceremony Signal uses for Safety Numbers and iMessage uses for Contact Key Verification.
The best part? Do it once per contact. Matrix cross-signing cascades the verification across all your devices automatically. One emoji parade to rule them all.
Padlock = encrypted. Shield = verified. You want both. The cypherpunks demand both. Don't settle for half a revolution. 🔒🛡️
#TIL #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #E2EE #Cypherpunk #Privacy #Encryption #InfoSec #SelfHosting #Element #DecentralizedComms #Fediverse -
🔐 TIL: The padlock in your Matrix client is lying to you. Well... not lying. Just not telling you the whole truth.
So you've got a padlock icon in Element. Your messages are encrypted. You're basically a spy now, right?
Not quite, friend.
There are two things going on in E2EE, and most people only ever learn about one of them. Today I learned the hard way — and now you don't have to.
🔒 Encryption scrambles your messages into gibberish that only the right keys can unlock. Happens automatically. The padlock is always on. Beautiful. Revolutionary. Table stakes.
🛡️ Verification is the part the cypherpunks actually care about.
Encryption secures the channel. Verification confirms who's actually holding the keys at the other end. Skip it, and you're encrypting to keys that merely claim to belong to your contact. Most of the time? Fine. But a compromised homeserver could theoretically slide a fake key into the exchange and silently hoover up everything you thought was for their eyes only.
That's not paranoia. That's the threat model.
The fix? Emoji. I'm not even joking. Matrix generates a set of emoji from a shared cryptographic value and shows them to both users simultaneously. If you both see the same little parade of cartoon faces — the handshake is mathematically genuine. No interception possible. It takes 30 seconds and feels absolutely ridiculous right up until you realise it's the same cryptographic ceremony Signal uses for Safety Numbers and iMessage uses for Contact Key Verification.
The best part? Do it once per contact. Matrix cross-signing cascades the verification across all your devices automatically. One emoji parade to rule them all.
Padlock = encrypted. Shield = verified. You want both. The cypherpunks demand both. Don't settle for half a revolution. 🔒🛡️
#TIL #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #E2EE #Cypherpunk #Privacy #Encryption #InfoSec #SelfHosting #Element #DecentralizedComms #Fediverse -
🔐 TIL: The padlock in your Matrix client is lying to you. Well... not lying. Just not telling you the whole truth.
So you've got a padlock icon in Element. Your messages are encrypted. You're basically a spy now, right?
Not quite, friend.
There are two things going on in E2EE, and most people only ever learn about one of them. Today I learned the hard way — and now you don't have to.
🔒 Encryption scrambles your messages into gibberish that only the right keys can unlock. Happens automatically. The padlock is always on. Beautiful. Revolutionary. Table stakes.
🛡️ Verification is the part the cypherpunks actually care about.
Encryption secures the channel. Verification confirms who's actually holding the keys at the other end. Skip it, and you're encrypting to keys that merely claim to belong to your contact. Most of the time? Fine. But a compromised homeserver could theoretically slide a fake key into the exchange and silently hoover up everything you thought was for their eyes only.
That's not paranoia. That's the threat model.
The fix? Emoji. I'm not even joking. Matrix generates a set of emoji from a shared cryptographic value and shows them to both users simultaneously. If you both see the same little parade of cartoon faces — the handshake is mathematically genuine. No interception possible. It takes 30 seconds and feels absolutely ridiculous right up until you realise it's the same cryptographic ceremony Signal uses for Safety Numbers and iMessage uses for Contact Key Verification.
The best part? Do it once per contact. Matrix cross-signing cascades the verification across all your devices automatically. One emoji parade to rule them all.
Padlock = encrypted. Shield = verified. You want both. The cypherpunks demand both. Don't settle for half a revolution. 🔒🛡️
#TIL #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #E2EE #Cypherpunk #Privacy #Encryption #InfoSec #SelfHosting #Element #DecentralizedComms #Fediverse -
🔐 TIL: The padlock in your Matrix client is lying to you. Well... not lying. Just not telling you the whole truth.
So you've got a padlock icon in Element. Your messages are encrypted. You're basically a spy now, right?
Not quite, friend.
There are two things going on in E2EE, and most people only ever learn about one of them. Today I learned the hard way — and now you don't have to.
🔒 Encryption scrambles your messages into gibberish that only the right keys can unlock. Happens automatically. The padlock is always on. Beautiful. Revolutionary. Table stakes.
🛡️ Verification is the part the cypherpunks actually care about.
Encryption secures the channel. Verification confirms who's actually holding the keys at the other end. Skip it, and you're encrypting to keys that merely claim to belong to your contact. Most of the time? Fine. But a compromised homeserver could theoretically slide a fake key into the exchange and silently hoover up everything you thought was for their eyes only.
That's not paranoia. That's the threat model.
The fix? Emoji. I'm not even joking. Matrix generates a set of emoji from a shared cryptographic value and shows them to both users simultaneously. If you both see the same little parade of cartoon faces — the handshake is mathematically genuine. No interception possible. It takes 30 seconds and feels absolutely ridiculous right up until you realise it's the same cryptographic ceremony Signal uses for Safety Numbers and iMessage uses for Contact Key Verification.
The best part? Do it once per contact. Matrix cross-signing cascades the verification across all your devices automatically. One emoji parade to rule them all.
Padlock = encrypted. Shield = verified. You want both. The cypherpunks demand both. Don't settle for half a revolution. 🔒🛡️
#TIL #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #E2EE #Cypherpunk #Privacy #Encryption #InfoSec #SelfHosting #Element #DecentralizedComms #Fediverse -
🔐 TIL: The padlock in your Matrix client is lying to you. Well... not lying. Just not telling you the whole truth.
So you've got a padlock icon in Element. Your messages are encrypted. You're basically a spy now, right?
Not quite, friend.
There are two things going on in E2EE, and most people only ever learn about one of them. Today I learned the hard way — and now you don't have to.
🔒 Encryption scrambles your messages into gibberish that only the right keys can unlock. Happens automatically. The padlock is always on. Beautiful. Revolutionary. Table stakes.
🛡️ Verification is the part the cypherpunks actually care about.
Encryption secures the channel. Verification confirms who's actually holding the keys at the other end. Skip it, and you're encrypting to keys that merely claim to belong to your contact. Most of the time? Fine. But a compromised homeserver could theoretically slide a fake key into the exchange and silently hoover up everything you thought was for their eyes only.
That's not paranoia. That's the threat model.
The fix? Emoji. I'm not even joking. Matrix generates a set of emoji from a shared cryptographic value and shows them to both users simultaneously. If you both see the same little parade of cartoon faces — the handshake is mathematically genuine. No interception possible. It takes 30 seconds and feels absolutely ridiculous right up until you realise it's the same cryptographic ceremony Signal uses for Safety Numbers and iMessage uses for Contact Key Verification.
The best part? Do it once per contact. Matrix cross-signing cascades the verification across all your devices automatically. One emoji parade to rule them all.
Padlock = encrypted. Shield = verified. You want both. The cypherpunks demand both. Don't settle for half a revolution. 🔒🛡️
#TIL #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #E2EE #Cypherpunk #Privacy #Encryption #InfoSec #SelfHosting #Element #DecentralizedComms #Fediverse -
#matrix #matrixprotocol #matrixchat i remember there were some things going around recently about like matrix having some questionable associations or something like that, anyone know anything?
pease content warn replies correctly :neofox_heart::boosts_ok_gay: -
#matrix #matrixprotocol #matrixchat i remember there were some things going around recently about like matrix having some questionable associations or something like that, anyone know anything?
pease content warn replies correctly :neofox_heart::boosts_ok_gay: -
#matrix #matrixprotocol #matrixchat i remember there were some things going around recently about like matrix having some questionable associations or something like that, anyone know anything?
pease content warn replies correctly :neofox_heart::boosts_ok_gay: -
"How I Installed matrix-synapse"
https://wiki.shadowkat.net/doku.php?id=howto:matrix-protocol
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"How I Installed matrix-synapse"
https://wiki.shadowkat.net/doku.php?id=howto:matrix-protocol
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"How I Installed matrix-synapse"
https://wiki.shadowkat.net/doku.php?id=howto:matrix-protocol
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"How I Installed matrix-synapse"
https://wiki.shadowkat.net/doku.php?id=howto:matrix-protocol
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"How I Installed matrix-synapse"
https://wiki.shadowkat.net/doku.php?id=howto:matrix-protocol
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Any Element-X users on macOS able to reproduce a crash from the steps I have in this bug report?
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Any Element-X users on macOS able to reproduce a crash from the steps I have in this bug report?
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Any Element-X users on macOS able to reproduce a crash from the steps I have in this bug report?
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Any Element-X users on macOS able to reproduce a crash from the steps I have in this bug report?
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Any Element-X users on macOS able to reproduce a crash from the steps I have in this bug report?
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Why Austria’s Military is Ditching Big Tech for Open Source
In the quiet corridors of Vienna’s Rossau Barracks, a strategic shift is underway that has little to do…
#Austria #AT #Europe #Europa #EU #austria #AustrianMilitaryIT #Bundesheer #digitalsovereignty #EuropeanDefenseTechnology #MatrixProtocol #Nachrichten #Nextcloud #OpenSourceDefense #Österreich #vendorlock-in
https://www.europesays.com/2604408/ -
Why Austria’s Military is Ditching Big Tech for Open Source https://www.byteseu.com/1588256/ #Austria #AustrianMilitaryIT #Bundesheer #DigitalSovereignty #EuropeanDefenseTechnology #MatrixProtocol #Nextcloud #OpenSourceDefense #VendorLockIn
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Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory
https://element.io/blog/verifying-your-devices-is-becoming-mandatory-2/
#HackerNews #Verifying #Matrix #devices #Mandatory #Security #Privacy #MatrixProtocol
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Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory
https://element.io/blog/verifying-your-devices-is-becoming-mandatory-2/
#HackerNews #Verifying #Matrix #devices #Mandatory #Security #Privacy #MatrixProtocol
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Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory
https://element.io/blog/verifying-your-devices-is-becoming-mandatory-2/
#HackerNews #Verifying #Matrix #devices #Mandatory #Security #Privacy #MatrixProtocol
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Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory
https://element.io/blog/verifying-your-devices-is-becoming-mandatory-2/
#HackerNews #Verifying #Matrix #devices #Mandatory #Security #Privacy #MatrixProtocol
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Verifying your Matrix devices is becoming mandatory
https://element.io/blog/verifying-your-devices-is-becoming-mandatory-2/
#HackerNews #Verifying #Matrix #devices #Mandatory #Security #Privacy #MatrixProtocol
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"Signal was great, but I wanted something I could truly own. Enter Matrix — a protocol, not a platform. I now run my own homeserver, complete with bridges, Maubot automations, and rooms that feel more like digital living rooms than rented chat spaces."
https://laurahargreaves.com/growing-my-fediverse/
RE: https://mastodon.laurahargreaves.com/@laura/115536140849221234
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"Signal was great, but I wanted something I could truly own. Enter Matrix — a protocol, not a platform. I now run my own homeserver, complete with bridges, Maubot automations, and rooms that feel more like digital living rooms than rented chat spaces."
https://laurahargreaves.com/growing-my-fediverse/
RE: https://mastodon.laurahargreaves.com/@laura/115536140849221234
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"Signal was great, but I wanted something I could truly own. Enter Matrix — a protocol, not a platform. I now run my own homeserver, complete with bridges, Maubot automations, and rooms that feel more like digital living rooms than rented chat spaces."
https://laurahargreaves.com/growing-my-fediverse/
RE: https://mastodon.laurahargreaves.com/@laura/115536140849221234
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"Signal was great, but I wanted something I could truly own. Enter Matrix — a protocol, not a platform. I now run my own homeserver, complete with bridges, Maubot automations, and rooms that feel more like digital living rooms than rented chat spaces."
https://laurahargreaves.com/growing-my-fediverse/
RE: https://mastodon.laurahargreaves.com/@laura/115536140849221234
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"Signal was great, but I wanted something I could truly own. Enter Matrix — a protocol, not a platform. I now run my own homeserver, complete with bridges, Maubot automations, and rooms that feel more like digital living rooms than rented chat spaces."
https://laurahargreaves.com/growing-my-fediverse/
RE: https://mastodon.laurahargreaves.com/@laura/115536140849221234
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recommendations for Matrix clients for Linux that aren't NeoChat or Element? Ideally something that I can get via Flatpak or RPM and works well under Fedora+KDE, but I'm not opposed to weirder installation procedures (within reason, lol). Bonus points for non-Electron.
NeoChat is fine, but it seems to miss events, so when I wake my computer in the morning I find the latter half of a conversation without context (older messages do appear, just not recent ones since sleeping), and I need to read the first half on my phone :neofox_woozy:
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recommendations for Matrix clients for Linux that aren't NeoChat or Element? Ideally something that I can get via Flatpak or RPM and works well under Fedora+KDE, but I'm not opposed to weirder installation procedures (within reason, lol). Bonus points for non-Electron.
NeoChat is fine, but it seems to miss events, so when I wake my computer in the morning I find the latter half of a conversation without context (older messages do appear, just not recent ones since sleeping), and I need to read the first half on my phone :neofox_woozy:
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recommendations for Matrix clients for Linux that aren't NeoChat or Element? Ideally something that I can get via Flatpak or RPM and works well under Fedora+KDE, but I'm not opposed to weirder installation procedures (within reason, lol). Bonus points for non-Electron.
NeoChat is fine, but it seems to miss events, so when I wake my computer in the morning I find the latter half of a conversation without context (older messages do appear, just not recent ones since sleeping), and I need to read the first half on my phone :neofox_woozy:
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recommendations for Matrix clients for Linux that aren't NeoChat or Element? Ideally something that I can get via Flatpak or RPM and works well under Fedora+KDE, but I'm not opposed to weirder installation procedures (within reason, lol). Bonus points for non-Electron.
NeoChat is fine, but it seems to miss events, so when I wake my computer in the morning I find the latter half of a conversation without context (older messages do appear, just not recent ones since sleeping), and I need to read the first half on my phone :neofox_woozy:
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recommendations for Matrix clients for Linux that aren't NeoChat or Element? Ideally something that I can get via Flatpak or RPM and works well under Fedora+KDE, but I'm not opposed to weirder installation procedures (within reason, lol). Bonus points for non-Electron.
NeoChat is fine, but it seems to miss events, so when I wake my computer in the morning I find the latter half of a conversation without context (older messages do appear, just not recent ones since sleeping), and I need to read the first half on my phone :neofox_woozy:
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On the Matrix organizations' business partnerships with imperial military alliances and with the police
I see a lot of posts about how shitty the Matrix Communication Protocol (henceforth Matrix) implementations are, but I hardly see any posts talking about how the Matrix Foundation (henceforth MF) and New Vector Ltd. (henceforth NVL) (trade name Element)—the two sister organizations that, in essence, form the Matrix world—are busy building business partnerships with imperial military alliances of nations that are enabling and perpetrating genocide at present, and with police forces actively suppressing and crushing the resistance of anti-capitalist movements, of campaigners for climate change action, of anti-genocide protestors. They have (or are trying to have) commercial relationships with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the German armed forces, and with various police forces in Europe. They are also wooing the US Department of Defense. This blog post talks about the letter to the US DoD by US senators Ron Wyden and Eric Schmitt urging for the rapid adoption of Matrix. This blog post says that Element is "incredibly fortunate to be working with trailblazers like ... the US Department of Defense ...".
This fealty to the imperial setup also shows in the language adopted by the blog posts of both the MF and NVL. This February 2025 blog post by the MF says that "the International Rules-Based Order is at risk like never before" and cites in support a BBC preview of the Munich Security Conference expressing anxiety about the "old" world order crumbling. Anyone paying attention knows that "the International Rules-Based Order" is an euphemism for neo-liberalism imposed on the global south by their former colonizers to negate the effects of decolonization. If a nation state tries to delink itself from the vortex of global finance, the USA and its allies impose sanctions upon it. If it still doesn't fall in line, the Western transatlantic alliance invades the country and bombs it to smithereens. As its illegal interventions in the former Yugoslavia and Libya and many other places demonstrate, NATO is the organ of choice for such wars. (Also, we all know that the USA and its allies in NATO and several of the non-NATO countries in Europe have been materially and ideologically supporting Israel in its genocide of the Palestinian people.) And exactly this organization is the partner of choice for the Matrix folks. In another illustration of this partnership, Jeroen Franssen, the Innovation Project Manager for the NATO Allied Command Transformation, gave a talk at the Matrix Foundations's September 2024 conference.
The same blog post also talks about the Matrix Foundation's applications to join the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism and tech against terrorism. Given that Palestine Action and Extinction Rebellion and other such groups are being labelled terrorists and persecuted by the police forces in several of the NATO and EU countries, the Matrix Foundation joining tech forums for countering terrorism and also partnering these police forces does not bode well for the Matrix protocol.
There are also blog posts with a war-mongering tone on the Element website. This one, for example, links to a news report about suspected sabotage of a link between Germany and Finland, but in the blog post, the word "suspected" disappears and the sabotage becomes a certainty. The escorting of an alleged Russian spy ship from Irish waters gets labelled "robust", again an adjective the cited report does not use. That NATO is concerned is cited. The blog post also approvingly mentions NATO's call on allies to shift to a "wartime mindset". This blog post also talks of NATO "pushing governments to adopt a wartime footing" and advocates for the Matrix protocol and Element itself as the right tools for all these countries in "wartime" mode.
One can go on, but I think the picture should be clear by now. We justly condemn American Big Tech companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, RTX, etc. for profiteering from Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people. Why should the rules be any different for the Matrix folks? I know that the Matrix organizations are small fry at present and are in no position right now to profit in the same fashion, but their actions and their words clearly demonstrate a strong urge to join these war- and genocide-profiteers. It is time all anti-colonial, anti-imperial, anti-capitalist activists familiarize themselves with the true face of the Matrix organizations, and act accordingly.Appendix: Is the Matrix Foundation truly independent of New Vector Ltd.?
Someone might argue that it is New Vector Ltd. forming business partnerships with NATO, with the police forces, etc. The Matrix Foundation—the custodian of the Matrix protocol—is an independent entity and has nothing to do with these commercial relationships. The blog post cited above suggests otherwise, it shows that the Matrix Foundation is keen on being a player upholding and implementing the "International Rules-Based Order". But if we ignore the ideological alignment with New Vector Ltd. expressed in the blog post, can we say that the foundation is truly independent of its for-profit sibling?
At present, the MF website states:In the interest of transparency, we think it's important for people to know that most of our staffers are employees of Element, working under a contract with, and funded by, the Foundation. The exception is our Managing Director who contracts directly with the Foundation.
Yet, the people behind Matrix seem to bristle at the suggestion that the MF is entirely dependent on NVL. This recent blog post by the MF managing director is an example. However, the MF doesn't point out anywhere that a 2019 resolution entitles Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape, the founders of both organizations, and the Guardians (equivalent to Directors forming the board of a for-profit company, or to Trustees forming the board of a Trust) of the MF, to vote and to fulfill quorum, irrespective of any conflicts arising from their positions as Directors of NVL. The resolution reads:THAT any actual or potential conflicts of interest of Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape (the "Conflicted Guardians") arising from or connected with their directorship and/or shareholding in New Vector Limited (whether direct or indirect interest or duty that conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the Foundation or their respective duties to the Foundation) be and are hereby authorised in accordance with section 180 of the Act, and accordingly, the Conflicted Guardians shall be entitled to participate at any board meeting for voting and quorum purposes in respect of the matters detailed in their respective declarations of interest annexed to this resolution.
Readers who would like to check the source should open this page and select the "View PDF" option for the June 21, 2019 entry titled "Resolution of adoption of Articles of Association".
At present, Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape continue to be listed as Guardians of the MF and as Directors of NVL.
To me, the above 2019 resolution does not inspire confidence in the independence of the MF. The situation is analogous to Matt Mullenweg's simultaneous control of Wordpress and Automattic. Ben Cook, as far back as in 2010, had pointed out how Matt Mullenweg being the boss of both Wordpress and Automattic could potentially lead to a toxic and explosive "conflict of interest" situation. As you can see from comments below his post, he was roundly cursed and criticized for his demand. However, his prophecy came true in 2024. Let's see how things shape out in case of the MF and NVL.
#Matrix #Element #NewVectorLtd #MatrixProtocol #InstantMessaging #BusinessCommunication #Signal #XMPP #Wire #MicrosoftTeams #Slack #colonialism #imperialism #capitalism #NATO #USA #Europe #EuropeanUnion #DigitalSovereignty #Israel #Palestine #Gaza #genocide -
On the Matrix organizations' business partnerships with imperial military alliances and with the police
I see a lot of posts about how shitty the Matrix Communication Protocol (henceforth Matrix) implementations are, but I hardly see any posts talking about how the Matrix Foundation (henceforth MF) and New Vector Ltd. (henceforth NVL) (trade name Element)—the two sister organizations that, in essence, form the Matrix world—are busy building business partnerships with imperial military alliances of nations that are enabling and perpetrating genocide at present, and with police forces actively suppressing and crushing the resistance of anti-capitalist movements, of campaigners for climate change action, of anti-genocide protestors. They have (or are trying to have) commercial relationships with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the German armed forces, and with various police forces in Europe. They are also wooing the US Department of Defense. This blog post talks about the letter to the US DoD by US senators Ron Wyden and Eric Schmitt urging for the rapid adoption of Matrix. This blog post says that Element is "incredibly fortunate to be working with trailblazers like ... the US Department of Defense ...".
This fealty to the imperial setup also shows in the language adopted by the blog posts of both the MF and NVL. This February 2025 blog post by the MF says that "the International Rules-Based Order is at risk like never before" and cites in support a BBC preview of the Munich Security Conference expressing anxiety about the "old" world order crumbling. Anyone paying attention knows that "the International Rules-Based Order" is an euphemism for neo-liberalism imposed on the global south by their former colonizers to negate the effects of decolonization. If a nation state tries to delink itself from the vortex of global finance, the USA and its allies impose sanctions upon it. If it still doesn't fall in line, the Western transatlantic alliance invades the country and bombs it to smithereens. As its illegal interventions in the former Yugoslavia and Libya and many other places demonstrate, NATO is the organ of choice for such wars. (Also, we all know that the USA and its allies in NATO and several of the non-NATO countries in Europe have been materially and ideologically supporting Israel in its genocide of the Palestinian people.) And exactly this organization is the partner of choice for the Matrix folks. In another illustration of this partnership, Jeroen Franssen, the Innovation Project Manager for the NATO Allied Command Transformation, gave a talk at the Matrix Foundations's September 2024 conference.
The same blog post also talks about the Matrix Foundation's applications to join the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism and tech against terrorism. Given that Palestine Action and Extinction Rebellion and other such groups are being labelled terrorists and persecuted by the police forces in several of the NATO and EU countries, the Matrix Foundation joining tech forums for countering terrorism and also partnering these police forces does not bode well for the Matrix protocol.
There are also blog posts with a war-mongering tone on the Element website. This one, for example, links to a news report about suspected sabotage of a link between Germany and Finland, but in the blog post, the word "suspected" disappears and the sabotage becomes a certainty. The escorting of an alleged Russian spy ship from Irish waters gets labelled "robust", again an adjective the cited report does not use. That NATO is concerned is cited. The blog post also approvingly mentions NATO's call on allies to shift to a "wartime mindset". This blog post also talks of NATO "pushing governments to adopt a wartime footing" and advocates for the Matrix protocol and Element itself as the right tools for all these countries in "wartime" mode.
One can go on, but I think the picture should be clear by now. We justly condemn American Big Tech companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, RTX, etc. for profiteering from Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people. Why should the rules be any different for the Matrix folks? I know that the Matrix organizations are small fry at present and are in no position right now to profit in the same fashion, but their actions and their words clearly demonstrate a strong urge to join these war- and genocide-profiteers. It is time all anti-colonial, anti-imperial, anti-capitalist activists familiarize themselves with the true face of the Matrix organizations, and act accordingly.Appendix: Is the Matrix Foundation truly independent of New Vector Ltd.?
Someone might argue that it is New Vector Ltd. forming business partnerships with NATO, with the police forces, etc. The Matrix Foundation—the custodian of the Matrix protocol—is an independent entity and has nothing to do with these commercial relationships. The blog post cited above suggests otherwise, it shows that the Matrix Foundation is keen on being a player upholding and implementing the "International Rules-Based Order". But if we ignore the ideological alignment with New Vector Ltd. expressed in the blog post, can we say that the foundation is truly independent of its for-profit sibling?
At present, the MF website states:In the interest of transparency, we think it's important for people to know that most of our staffers are employees of Element, working under a contract with, and funded by, the Foundation. The exception is our Managing Director who contracts directly with the Foundation.
Yet, the people behind Matrix seem to bristle at the suggestion that the MF is entirely dependent on NVL. This recent blog post by the MF managing director is an example. However, the MF doesn't point out anywhere that a 2019 resolution entitles Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape, the founders of both organizations, and the Guardians (equivalent to Directors forming the board of a for-profit company, or to Trustees forming the board of a Trust) of the MF, to vote and to fulfill quorum, irrespective of any conflicts arising from their positions as Directors of NVL. The resolution reads:THAT any actual or potential conflicts of interest of Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape (the "Conflicted Guardians") arising from or connected with their directorship and/or shareholding in New Vector Limited (whether direct or indirect interest or duty that conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the Foundation or their respective duties to the Foundation) be and are hereby authorised in accordance with section 180 of the Act, and accordingly, the Conflicted Guardians shall be entitled to participate at any board meeting for voting and quorum purposes in respect of the matters detailed in their respective declarations of interest annexed to this resolution.
Readers who would like to check the source should open this page and select the "View PDF" option for the June 21, 2019 entry titled "Resolution of adoption of Articles of Association".
At present, Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape continue to be listed as Guardians of the MF and as Directors of NVL.
To me, the above 2019 resolution does not inspire confidence in the independence of the MF. The situation is analogous to Matt Mullenweg's simultaneous control of Wordpress and Automattic. Ben Cook, as far back as in 2010, had pointed out how Matt Mullenweg being the boss of both Wordpress and Automattic could potentially lead to a toxic and explosive "conflict of interest" situation. As you can see from comments below his post, he was roundly cursed and criticized for his demand. However, his prophecy came true in 2024. Let's see how things shape out in case of the MF and NVL.
#Matrix #Element #NewVectorLtd #MatrixProtocol #InstantMessaging #BusinessCommunication #Signal #XMPP #Wire #MicrosoftTeams #Slack #colonialism #imperialism #capitalism #NATO #USA #Europe #EuropeanUnion #DigitalSovereignty #Israel #Palestine #Gaza #genocide -
On the Matrix organizations' business partnerships with imperial military alliances and with the police
I see a lot of posts about how shitty the Matrix Communication Protocol (henceforth Matrix) implementations are, but I hardly see any posts talking about how the Matrix Foundation (henceforth MF) and New Vector Ltd. (henceforth NVL) (trade name Element)—the two sister organizations that, in essence, form the Matrix world—are busy building business partnerships with imperial military alliances of nations that are enabling and perpetrating genocide at present, and with police forces actively suppressing and crushing the resistance of anti-capitalist movements, of campaigners for climate change action, of anti-genocide protestors. They have (or are trying to have) commercial relationships with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with the German armed forces, and with various police forces in Europe. They are also wooing the US Department of Defense. This blog post talks about the letter to the US DoD by US senators Ron Wyden and Eric Schmitt urging for the rapid adoption of Matrix. This blog post says that Element is "incredibly fortunate to be working with trailblazers like ... the US Department of Defense ...".
This fealty to the imperial setup also shows in the language adopted by the blog posts of both the MF and NVL. This February 2025 blog post by the MF says that "the International Rules-Based Order is at risk like never before" and cites in support a BBC preview of the Munich Security Conference expressing anxiety about the "old" world order crumbling. Anyone paying attention knows that "the International Rules-Based Order" is an euphemism for neo-liberalism imposed on the global south by their former colonizers to negate the effects of decolonization. If a nation state tries to delink itself from the vortex of global finance, the USA and its allies impose sanctions upon it. If it still doesn't fall in line, the Western transatlantic alliance invades the country and bombs it to smithereens. As its illegal interventions in the former Yugoslavia and Libya and many other places demonstrate, NATO is the organ of choice for such wars. (Also, we all know that the USA and its allies in NATO and several of the non-NATO countries in Europe have been materially and ideologically supporting Israel in its genocide of the Palestinian people.) And exactly this organization is the partner of choice for the Matrix folks. In another illustration of this partnership, Jeroen Franssen, the Innovation Project Manager for the NATO Allied Command Transformation, gave a talk at the Matrix Foundations's September 2024 conference.
The same blog post also talks about the Matrix Foundation's applications to join the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism and tech against terrorism. Given that Palestine Action and Extinction Rebellion and other such groups are being labelled terrorists and persecuted by the police forces in several of the NATO and EU countries, the Matrix Foundation joining tech forums for countering terrorism and also partnering these police forces does not bode well for the Matrix protocol.
There are also blog posts with a war-mongering tone on the Element website. This one, for example, links to a news report about suspected sabotage of a link between Germany and Finland, but in the blog post, the word "suspected" disappears and the sabotage becomes a certainty. The escorting of an alleged Russian spy ship from Irish waters gets labelled "robust", again an adjective the cited report does not use. That NATO is concerned is cited. The blog post also approvingly mentions NATO's call on allies to shift to a "wartime mindset". This blog post also talks of NATO "pushing governments to adopt a wartime footing" and advocates for the Matrix protocol and Element itself as the right tools for all these countries in "wartime" mode.
One can go on, but I think the picture should be clear by now. We justly condemn American Big Tech companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, RTX, etc. for profiteering from Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people. Why should the rules be any different for the Matrix folks? I know that the Matrix organizations are small fry at present and are in no position right now to profit in the same fashion, but their actions and their words clearly demonstrate a strong urge to join these war- and genocide-profiteers. It is time all anti-colonial, anti-imperial, anti-capitalist activists familiarize themselves with the true face of the Matrix organizations, and act accordingly.Appendix: Is the Matrix Foundation truly independent of New Vector Ltd.?
Someone might argue that it is New Vector Ltd. forming business partnerships with NATO, with the police forces, etc. The Matrix Foundation—the custodian of the Matrix protocol—is an independent entity and has nothing to do with these commercial relationships. The blog post cited above suggests otherwise, it shows that the Matrix Foundation is keen on being a player upholding and implementing the "International Rules-Based Order". But if we ignore the ideological alignment with New Vector Ltd. expressed in the blog post, can we say that the foundation is truly independent of its for-profit sibling?
At present, the MF website states:In the interest of transparency, we think it's important for people to know that most of our staffers are employees of Element, working under a contract with, and funded by, the Foundation. The exception is our Managing Director who contracts directly with the Foundation.
Yet, the people behind Matrix seem to bristle at the suggestion that the MF is entirely dependent on NVL. This recent blog post by the MF managing director is an example. However, the MF doesn't point out anywhere that a 2019 resolution entitles Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape, the founders of both organizations, and the Guardians (equivalent to Directors forming the board of a for-profit company, or to Trustees forming the board of a Trust) of the MF, to vote and to fulfill quorum, irrespective of any conflicts arising from their positions as Directors of NVL. The resolution reads:THAT any actual or potential conflicts of interest of Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape (the "Conflicted Guardians") arising from or connected with their directorship and/or shareholding in New Vector Limited (whether direct or indirect interest or duty that conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the Foundation or their respective duties to the Foundation) be and are hereby authorised in accordance with section 180 of the Act, and accordingly, the Conflicted Guardians shall be entitled to participate at any board meeting for voting and quorum purposes in respect of the matters detailed in their respective declarations of interest annexed to this resolution.
Readers who would like to check the source should open this page and select the "View PDF" option for the June 21, 2019 entry titled "Resolution of adoption of Articles of Association".
At present, Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape continue to be listed as Guardians of the MF and as Directors of NVL.
To me, the above 2019 resolution does not inspire confidence in the independence of the MF. The situation is analogous to Matt Mullenweg's simultaneous control of Wordpress and Automattic. Ben Cook, as far back as in 2010, had pointed out how Matt Mullenweg being the boss of both Wordpress and Automattic could potentially lead to a toxic and explosive "conflict of interest" situation. As you can see from comments below his post, he was roundly cursed and criticized for his demand. However, his prophecy came true in 2024. Let's see how things shape out in case of the MF and NVL.
#Matrix #Element #NewVectorLtd #MatrixProtocol #InstantMessaging #BusinessCommunication #Signal #XMPP #Wire #MicrosoftTeams #Slack #colonialism #imperialism #capitalism #NATO #USA #Europe #EuropeanUnion #DigitalSovereignty #Israel #Palestine #Gaza #genocide -
👀 "Yeah, if I had a bet on one, actually, you know what I’d bet on is the #MatrixProtocol, the dark horse in the corner." @photomatt from @automattic and @wordpress in @voxmedia. #ActivityPub #ATProtocol
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👀 "Yeah, if I had a bet on one, actually, you know what I’d bet on is the #MatrixProtocol, the dark horse in the corner." @photomatt from @automattic and @wordpress in @voxmedia. #ActivityPub #ATProtocol
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🕯️ Behind the Code: Why Open Source Matters for Small Business Survival #OpenSource #Cybersecurity #SmallBusinessSecurity #DigitalFreedom #TransparentTech #PrivacyMatters #SecureByDesign #FOSS #InfoSec #SecurityAwareness #DataProtection #ZeroTrust #AuditTheCode #OpenSourceSecurity #TrustButVerify #TechTransparency #MatrixProtocol #Passbolt #Bitwarden #Nextcloud #OpenSourceTools #SecurityFirst #DigitalSovereignty #TechEthics #SecurityForAll
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🕯️ Behind the Code: Why Open Source Matters for Small Business Survival #OpenSource #Cybersecurity #SmallBusinessSecurity #DigitalFreedom #TransparentTech #PrivacyMatters #SecureByDesign #FOSS #InfoSec #SecurityAwareness #DataProtection #ZeroTrust #AuditTheCode #OpenSourceSecurity #TrustButVerify #TechTransparency #MatrixProtocol #Passbolt #Bitwarden #Nextcloud #OpenSourceTools #SecurityFirst #DigitalSovereignty #TechEthics #SecurityForAll
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🕯️ Behind the Code: Why Open Source Matters for Small Business Survival #OpenSource #Cybersecurity #SmallBusinessSecurity #DigitalFreedom #TransparentTech #PrivacyMatters #SecureByDesign #FOSS #InfoSec #SecurityAwareness #DataProtection #ZeroTrust #AuditTheCode #OpenSourceSecurity #TrustButVerify #TechTransparency #MatrixProtocol #Passbolt #Bitwarden #Nextcloud #OpenSourceTools #SecurityFirst #DigitalSovereignty #TechEthics #SecurityForAll
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Pubblico anche qui perché, perché no… Scocciandomi del fatto che non ci sia un #client #Matrix per #mobile che sia ben curato a tutto tondo, sia stabile che performante che ricco di funzioni, ed essendo fissati quelli di #Element con il non ottimizzare la versione #web #flagship del loro client (che è progettato solo per #desktop)… ho forkato appunto #ElementWeb, e ora vedrò cosa posso fare per mantenerlo, ma portandolo in una direzione più consona ai dispositivi mobili. 📱️
Qui 2 #screenshot dimostrative, per mostrare come appare la versione originale di questa #applicazione su un viewport (su browser desktop) molto stretto (a sinistra in entrambe), a confronto con il mio #fork che gira sul mio #telefono in verticale (sulla destra). Per creare veramente un’esperienza ideale servirà temo abbastanza #lavoro, ma in 2 #giorni scarsi ho già quantomeno reso la #app agibile su #smartphone, finalmente! ⚒️
Se questa #roba vi serviva, o vi intriga, vi chiedo di provarla, sollevare problemi e richieste, e possibilmente #contribuire. È tutto su #Git, incluso il #link alla #webapp, e a breve i file #APK per #Android. Ecco a voi #Spaccamient: https://github.com/Spacc-Inc/Spaccamient. 🙏️
https://octospacc.altervista.org/2023/12/28/825/
#Android #APK #app #applicazione #client #contribuire #desktop #Element #ElementWeb #flagship #FLOSS #fork #FOSS #giorni #Git #lavoro #libre #link #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #messaging #mobile #OpenSource #privacy #roba #screenshot #smartphone #Spaccamient #telefono #web #webapp
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🕯️ Tools from the Silence: Open Source Weapons for Small Business Security #OpenSource #Cybersecurity #SmallBusinessSecurity #FOSS #DigitalFreedom #DataProtection #PasswordManager #LibreOffice #Vaultwarden #Passbolt #KeePassXC #Nextcloud #pfSense #MatrixProtocol #ElementChat #PrivacyTools #ZeroTrust #SelfHosting #SecurityFirst #EncryptedCommunication
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🕯️ Tools from the Silence: Open Source Weapons for Small Business Security #OpenSource #Cybersecurity #SmallBusinessSecurity #FOSS #DigitalFreedom #DataProtection #PasswordManager #LibreOffice #Vaultwarden #Passbolt #KeePassXC #Nextcloud #pfSense #MatrixProtocol #ElementChat #PrivacyTools #ZeroTrust #SelfHosting #SecurityFirst #EncryptedCommunication
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🕯️ Tools from the Silence: Open Source Weapons for Small Business Security #OpenSource #Cybersecurity #SmallBusinessSecurity #FOSS #DigitalFreedom #DataProtection #PasswordManager #LibreOffice #Vaultwarden #Passbolt #KeePassXC #Nextcloud #pfSense #MatrixProtocol #ElementChat #PrivacyTools #ZeroTrust #SelfHosting #SecurityFirst #EncryptedCommunication
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Pubblico anche qui perché, perché no… Scocciandomi del fatto che non ci sia un #client #Matrix per #mobile che sia ben curato a tutto tondo, sia stabile che performante che ricco di funzioni, ed essendo fissati quelli di #Element con il non ottimizzare la versione #web #flagship del loro client (che è progettato solo per #desktop)… ho forkato appunto #ElementWeb, e ora vedrò cosa posso fare per mantenerlo, ma portandolo in una direzione più consona ai dispositivi mobili. 📱️
Qui 2 #screenshot dimostrative, per mostrare come appare la versione originale di questa #applicazione su un viewport (su browser desktop) molto stretto (a sinistra in entrambe), a confronto con il mio #fork che gira sul mio #telefono in verticale (sulla destra). Per creare veramente un’esperienza ideale servirà temo abbastanza #lavoro, ma in 2 #giorni scarsi ho già quantomeno reso la #app agibile su #smartphone, finalmente! ⚒️
Se questa #roba vi serviva, o vi intriga, vi chiedo di provarla, sollevare problemi e richieste, e possibilmente #contribuire. È tutto su #Git, incluso il #link alla #webapp, e a breve i file #APK per #Android. Ecco a voi #Spaccamient: https://github.com/Spacc-Inc/Spaccamient. 🙏️
https://octospacc.altervista.org/2023/12/28/825/
#Android #APK #app #applicazione #client #contribuire #desktop #Element #ElementWeb #flagship #FLOSS #fork #FOSS #giorni #Git #lavoro #libre #link #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #messaging #mobile #OpenSource #privacy #roba #screenshot #smartphone #Spaccamient #telefono #web #webapp
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Pubblico anche qui perché, perché no… Scocciandomi del fatto che non ci sia un #client #Matrix per #mobile che sia ben curato a tutto tondo, sia stabile che performante che ricco di funzioni, ed essendo fissati quelli di #Element con il non ottimizzare la versione #web #flagship del loro client (che è progettato solo per #desktop)… ho forkato appunto #ElementWeb, e ora vedrò cosa posso fare per mantenerlo, ma portandolo in una direzione più consona ai dispositivi mobili. 📱️
Qui 2 #screenshot dimostrative, per mostrare come appare la versione originale di questa #applicazione su un viewport (su browser desktop) molto stretto (a sinistra in entrambe), a confronto con il mio #fork che gira sul mio #telefono in verticale (sulla destra). Per creare veramente un’esperienza ideale servirà temo abbastanza #lavoro, ma in 2 #giorni scarsi ho già quantomeno reso la #app agibile su #smartphone, finalmente! ⚒️
Se questa #roba vi serviva, o vi intriga, vi chiedo di provarla, sollevare problemi e richieste, e possibilmente #contribuire. È tutto su #Git, incluso il #link alla #webapp, e a breve i file #APK per #Android. Ecco a voi #Spaccamient: https://github.com/Spacc-Inc/Spaccamient. 🙏️
https://octospacc.altervista.org/2023/12/28/825/
#Android #APK #app #applicazione #client #contribuire #desktop #Element #ElementWeb #flagship #FLOSS #fork #FOSS #giorni #Git #lavoro #libre #link #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #messaging #mobile #OpenSource #privacy #roba #screenshot #smartphone #Spaccamient #telefono #web #webapp
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Pubblico anche qui perché, perché no… Scocciandomi del fatto che non ci sia un #client #Matrix per #mobile che sia ben curato a tutto tondo, sia stabile che performante che ricco di funzioni, ed essendo fissati quelli di #Element con il non ottimizzare la versione #web #flagship del loro client (che è progettato solo per #desktop)… ho forkato appunto #ElementWeb, e ora vedrò cosa posso fare per mantenerlo, ma portandolo in una direzione più consona ai dispositivi mobili. 📱️
Qui 2 #screenshot dimostrative, per mostrare come appare la versione originale di questa #applicazione su un viewport (su browser desktop) molto stretto (a sinistra in entrambe), a confronto con il mio #fork che gira sul mio #telefono in verticale (sulla destra). Per creare veramente un’esperienza ideale servirà temo abbastanza #lavoro, ma in 2 #giorni scarsi ho già quantomeno reso la #app agibile su #smartphone, finalmente! ⚒️
Se questa #roba vi serviva, o vi intriga, vi chiedo di provarla, sollevare problemi e richieste, e possibilmente #contribuire. È tutto su #Git, incluso il #link alla #webapp, e a breve i file #APK per #Android. Ecco a voi #Spaccamient: https://github.com/Spacc-Inc/Spaccamient. 🙏️
https://octospacc.altervista.org/2023/12/28/825/
#Android #APK #app #applicazione #client #contribuire #desktop #Element #ElementWeb #flagship #FLOSS #fork #FOSS #giorni #Git #lavoro #libre #link #Matrix #MatrixProtocol #messaging #mobile #OpenSource #privacy #roba #screenshot #smartphone #Spaccamient #telefono #web #webapp