this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2026
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Matrix

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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.

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[–] Aria@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 26 minutes ago (1 children)

Those are absolutely trade-offs. Do you want the app to positively ID you and tie you to your passport, or do you want the app to broadcast your set name and set identity strings to those you opt in to share it with?

[–] verifytheposter@leminal.space 1 points 11 minutes ago

You haven’t explained why I have to choose between these two trade-offs. I want neither: I want strong metadata protection without being forced to link my account to my real-world identity.