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Social networks were meant to unite us. To connect people, ideas, movements. And for a while, they did. But somewhere along the way, something broke. The same platforms that once promised freedom chose a different path: control, manipulation, and data centralization. What started as tools for connection became instruments of control. The platforms we once trusted (social networks, messaging apps, cloud services) turned into chokepoints. Centralized. Fragile. Easy to pressure. Built not for freedom, but for compliance. Every node of control is a point of censorship. Every server, a source of surveillance. When speech depends on permission, itโ€™s no longer speech. Itโ€™s submission. A Way Out. Encryption is not just technology, itโ€™s a political act. A gesture of resistance. Over the years, new social networks and messaging platforms emerged, promising freedom. Many failed because they relied on intermediaries: corporations, servers, gatekeepers. CEOs and companies are points of control. They can be pressured, censored, compromised. True freedom demands a system where middle-men are minimized, our trust is rooted in mathmatics, and privacy is cryptographically guaranteed, not a policy written by lawyers. A New Hope. Open Source projects like Linux and Bitcoin have proven that open, distributed networks of people can build systems the world can count on. Systems based on rules, not rulers. Systems that can resist attack. Nostr builds in this same spirit, creating a network where speech can't be silenced, no matter where you're from or who you are. Built on Nostr's open network, White Noise emerges from a deeply held belief: you have the right to speak freely. We're building the world's most secure messenger, one that protects your conversations and your communities and leaves no metadata behind in the process. We run no servers, we collect no data, we have no rulers. White Noise Is: - Encrypted by default: Strong, modern end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is standard, not hidden in a settings menu. Our team has no access to any keys at all. - Private by design: Your identity (or identities) are yours. White Noise doesn't need your phone number, email, or any data about you. - Decentralized: Built on Nostr's global network relays. Data always remains portable and uncaptured; no single entity owns or controls your data or the network. - Resilient against coercion: Open-source governance ensures no one can unilaterally alter terms of service and zero data retention means we can't be forced to give up private data. We Believe in Building 1. A world where Privacy is a Right, not a privilege for the technically elite. 2. Tools that prioritize usability, without compromising privacy. 3. Open protocols, over closed platforms. 4. Trust through transparency. Make some noise. Protect out silence. (Stay tuned)

Replies (11)

That's one hell of a manifesto! Also really interested in the tech.
White Noise's avatar White Noise
Social networks were meant to unite us. To connect people, ideas, movements. And for a while, they did. But somewhere along the way, something broke. The same platforms that once promised freedom chose a different path: control, manipulation, and data centralization. What started as tools for connection became instruments of control. The platforms we once trusted (social networks, messaging apps, cloud services) turned into chokepoints. Centralized. Fragile. Easy to pressure. Built not for freedom, but for compliance. Every node of control is a point of censorship. Every server, a source of surveillance. When speech depends on permission, itโ€™s no longer speech. Itโ€™s submission. A Way Out. Encryption is not just technology, itโ€™s a political act. A gesture of resistance. Over the years, new social networks and messaging platforms emerged, promising freedom. Many failed because they relied on intermediaries: corporations, servers, gatekeepers. CEOs and companies are points of control. They can be pressured, censored, compromised. True freedom demands a system where middle-men are minimized, our trust is rooted in mathmatics, and privacy is cryptographically guaranteed, not a policy written by lawyers. A New Hope. Open Source projects like Linux and Bitcoin have proven that open, distributed networks of people can build systems the world can count on. Systems based on rules, not rulers. Systems that can resist attack. Nostr builds in this same spirit, creating a network where speech can't be silenced, no matter where you're from or who you are. Built on Nostr's open network, White Noise emerges from a deeply held belief: you have the right to speak freely. We're building the world's most secure messenger, one that protects your conversations and your communities and leaves no metadata behind in the process. We run no servers, we collect no data, we have no rulers. White Noise Is: - Encrypted by default: Strong, modern end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is standard, not hidden in a settings menu. Our team has no access to any keys at all. - Private by design: Your identity (or identities) are yours. White Noise doesn't need your phone number, email, or any data about you. - Decentralized: Built on Nostr's global network relays. Data always remains portable and uncaptured; no single entity owns or controls your data or the network. - Resilient against coercion: Open-source governance ensures no one can unilaterally alter terms of service and zero data retention means we can't be forced to give up private data. We Believe in Building 1. A world where Privacy is a Right, not a privilege for the technically elite. 2. Tools that prioritize usability, without compromising privacy. 3. Open protocols, over closed platforms. 4. Trust through transparency. Make some noise. Protect out silence. (Stay tuned)
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Lucky to get early test access.. And gotta say @White Noise has the best design of all chat apps I've seen so far. image
White Noise's avatar White Noise
Social networks were meant to unite us. To connect people, ideas, movements. And for a while, they did. But somewhere along the way, something broke. The same platforms that once promised freedom chose a different path: control, manipulation, and data centralization. What started as tools for connection became instruments of control. The platforms we once trusted (social networks, messaging apps, cloud services) turned into chokepoints. Centralized. Fragile. Easy to pressure. Built not for freedom, but for compliance. Every node of control is a point of censorship. Every server, a source of surveillance. When speech depends on permission, itโ€™s no longer speech. Itโ€™s submission. A Way Out. Encryption is not just technology, itโ€™s a political act. A gesture of resistance. Over the years, new social networks and messaging platforms emerged, promising freedom. Many failed because they relied on intermediaries: corporations, servers, gatekeepers. CEOs and companies are points of control. They can be pressured, censored, compromised. True freedom demands a system where middle-men are minimized, our trust is rooted in mathmatics, and privacy is cryptographically guaranteed, not a policy written by lawyers. A New Hope. Open Source projects like Linux and Bitcoin have proven that open, distributed networks of people can build systems the world can count on. Systems based on rules, not rulers. Systems that can resist attack. Nostr builds in this same spirit, creating a network where speech can't be silenced, no matter where you're from or who you are. Built on Nostr's open network, White Noise emerges from a deeply held belief: you have the right to speak freely. We're building the world's most secure messenger, one that protects your conversations and your communities and leaves no metadata behind in the process. We run no servers, we collect no data, we have no rulers. White Noise Is: - Encrypted by default: Strong, modern end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is standard, not hidden in a settings menu. Our team has no access to any keys at all. - Private by design: Your identity (or identities) are yours. White Noise doesn't need your phone number, email, or any data about you. - Decentralized: Built on Nostr's global network relays. Data always remains portable and uncaptured; no single entity owns or controls your data or the network. - Resilient against coercion: Open-source governance ensures no one can unilaterally alter terms of service and zero data retention means we can't be forced to give up private data. We Believe in Building 1. A world where Privacy is a Right, not a privilege for the technically elite. 2. Tools that prioritize usability, without compromising privacy. 3. Open protocols, over closed platforms. 4. Trust through transparency. Make some noise. Protect out silence. (Stay tuned)
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Great project! A macOS .dmg version would be phenomenal to test out. If your project is open source (which it is) and allows the flexible and customizable download/hosting/saving of Nostr messages (in groups also as it seems to do!) then it's very useful. Because it basically becomes a truly uncensorable (and local-first) form of Whatsapp or Telegram. I want to download text messages from certain groups, people, filter out videos or images from others, etc. This customization would make it gold! The gold in my view is clearly in mixing the P2P and Relay aspect. A local P2P instance using relays to perpetuate content is the holy grail of decentralized communication in my view! Thanks very much for the project!