Wickr is hardly the only platform with end-to-end encryption not requiring phone numbers. The same applies to Matrix, for example. That's not a valid rationale or explanation for shutting down a platform.

So E2E chats in Telegram have the same problem.

Every good thing can be used by bad people.

Telegram needs to store your messages in an unencrypted manner on their own servers but hey, at least no one "else" can see any of your message over the network due to their awesome E2E support.

Telegram needs a phone number to sign up.

So just move to Matrix clients (Element, Fluffychat) or Wire, Session, Tox, etc.

I think Wire also moved to enterprise only, sadly. At least it appeared that way last time I visited.

TIL so replace in my list Wire with Briar

Oh wow, looks like Signal requiring a phone number strikes a good balance.

No it doesn’t.

Yea, it is.

As you can only pick two of three choices to protect:

- identity

- its message content

- resistance to forgery