The Most Secure Messaging Apps of 2025 for Privacy Protection
In today’s world, where digital communication has become an inseparable part of daily life, the belief that our conversations on chat apps are truly private no longer holds true. Many messaging platforms and social networks use user data for targeted advertising or even for training artificial intelligence models. These data points may also be shared with governmental or judicial authorities upon request. Meanwhile, social engineering and the activity of unknown individuals can serve as gateways for accessing private accounts.
Overall Ranking Results
According to the comprehensive Incogni report titled Social Media Privacy Ranking 2025, fifteen popular apps were evaluated based on eighteen privacy-related criteria. This section focuses specifically on messaging platforms, providing a clear view of user security status in 2025.
Based on the findings, among the analyzed messengers, Discord ranks first with a score of 10.23, followed by Telegram (13.08) and Snapchat (13.39). At the lower end of the list are Facebook Messenger (22.22) and WhatsApp (23.17).
However, when looking at more practical and user-centered indicators, the results shift: Telegram (4.23) tops the list, followed by Snapchat (7.72), Discord (8.14), WhatsApp (11.93), and Facebook Messenger (13.37).
Security Analysis and Default Settings
WhatsApp received a negative adjustment of –3.4 points for using chat data in interaction with Meta’s AI assistant. Nonetheless, since other conversations remain end-to-end encrypted, WhatsApp’s adjusted privacy score is approximately 8.53.
Regarding default privacy settings, Telegram and Snapchat offer the widest range of options for controlling access and visibility, whereas WhatsApp, Discord, and Messenger lag behind. Both Telegram and WhatsApp lead in limiting profile visibility to strangers, followed by Messenger and Snapchat.
When it comes to government cooperation, Telegram does not publicly report precise figures, though some level of compliance exists. By comparison, Snapchat complies with 82% of governmental requests, Meta services (WhatsApp and Messenger) comply with 78%, and Discord with 77.4%.
Data Collection Practices
In terms of public data collection, Telegram and WhatsApp store the least amount of user information, followed by Discord; Facebook Messenger and Snapchat collect significantly more. It’s also important to note that desktop versions of these apps are generally less secure than mobile ones, and unofficial (modded) versions pose severe risks—even when distributed through the Google Play Store.
Encryption and Final Verdict
Only WhatsApp enables end-to-end encryption by default for all conversations. In Telegram, this encryption is active only in Secret Chat mode. This difference makes Telegram’s security level more dependent on user settings.
Overall, Telegram stands out as the best choice for privacy-conscious users, offering minimal data collection and extensive security customization. Discord ranks highest overall but requires manual configuration for optimal privacy. WhatsApp performs well in protection against intrusions, while Snapchat and Messenger remain weaker in data handling and governmental cooperation.
Source: MedadPress
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