Chat Encryption

[gameover]

Does the new chat system provide security through encryption, or is that only voice chat? If not, why not?

It does not... The update should have added end to end encryption. Everything else could have waited.

[LegoManIAm94]

End-To-End Encryption (Encryting data in transit) is a must! If there is any data being stored on the servers like Discord it should also be encrypted but I don't see why chat data should be stored at all on a Steam server.

WhatsApp has been doing this for years and many apps like this. By adding encryption it will be a game changer and I will never use Discord again if it gets implimented as long there is no backdoor and abuse on privacy.

[foxgirl gaming]

I think only voice is encrypted so far. Everything else should be too!

[jmccaskey]

Chat messages are encrypted when sent to/from our servers. Voice used to be an exception due to being P2P, so it's new that it's encrypted and that's why it's specifically called out.

Text chat has been encrypted over the wire for a long time as your Steam clients connection to Steam servers is always encrypted.

[LegoManIAm94]

Originally posted by jmccaskey:

Chat messages are encrypted when sent to/from our servers. Voice used to be an exception due to being P2P, so it's new that it's encrypted and that's why it's specifically called out.

Text chat has been encrypted over the wire for a long time as your Steam clients connection to Steam servers is always encrypted.

Voice is P2P which means its never stored on the server. Are the text messages encrypted when stoted on the server?

[[N]ebsun]

Originally posted by jmccaskey:

Chat messages are encrypted when sent to/from our servers. Voice used to be an exception due to being P2P, so it's new that it's encrypted and that's why it's specifically called out.

Text chat has been encrypted over the wire for a long time as your Steam clients connection to Steam servers is always encrypted.

"Chat messages are encrypted when sent to/from our servers."

This sounds like it means the text is encrypted, but only during transmission - can steam / valve decrypt messages we send to other clients? is there a reason to let steam / valve see all our messages?

[LegoManIAm94]

When I game I avoid using any text chat system unless I am asking someone if they would like to play a game since it is not convient to type a message while your playing in-game.

I like using Mumble as a voice chat client even though Discord is the king due to its slick user interface but Discord is data mining chats and is not to be trusted at all. Mumble is open source, secure, and what is nice is that it offers a in-game overlay and is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Andriod & iOS.

If Valve makes the Steam Client open source, makes all chat weather it is voice or text encrypted and only users can read and hear one another and not Valve it will make Steam more popular for those who value privacy as privacy is becoming more of an issue on the web. Facebook is rotting due to their abuse in privacy and I don't want Valvle to go down this route.

A benefit by making it open source besides having transparency is allowing anyone to contribute to the Steam Client which can save Valve money and time since there are lots of Steam fans who are good programmers and I am sure would like to contribute.

[LegoManIAm94]

Originally posted by Gunter:

I've always been a huge fan of mumble and that it is open source however i just wish the ui was better that is the one thing holding it back.

Mumble is working on a new version that I believe has a better UI but I do not know when that will be released.

[LegoManIAm94]

Originally posted by Gunter:

Yeh and I saw that they were too but I don’t believe it’s a major ui change u can download the snapshot for it which is 1.3.0 and from what I can see the buttons look slightly updated and stuff but the ui is pretty much exactly the same just the skin is different.

Still a huge difference making it look more like Discord in its theme.

I hope Steam adds encryption and stands strong on user privacy. Steam makes lots of money from game sales and there is no need for them data mine its users.

[gameover]

Yes it sounds like steam chat may be encrypted in transit, but it is likely stored unencrypted on their servers. Which is just not good practice when you are dealing with PII

[hexaae]

Uhm, that's bad...

[Posedion]

Data such as telegram can be stored encrypted on the server.If not, you must bring end-to-end encryption.

[TOP 1 in EU…. And Maybe in PL]

:)