ShutUp

ShutUp is a private, end-to-end encrypted chat application that supports most of the features of every other chat application you're accustomed to, including threads, reactions, animated GIFs, DMs, and audio calls. It also has features that some other chat apps don't, like polls and inline media playback with metadata.

The app is designed to be deployed to a Raspberry Pi in your own home. No cloud servers, no subscriptions — you own the whole thing.

Why it exists

With free speech coming under attack, I wanted to build a platform that users could trust. You're in control, not a corporation. Only people you invite in can access it. There are no government backdoors. And if you need to, you can simply turn it off by unplugging the server. I could see an application like this being useful for journalists, mutual aid networks, activists, organizers, and protesters.

How the privacy holds up

The Pi server itself is configured such that no logging takes place at all. All encryption and decryption happens client-side, and no plain text is sent over the wire. The server only ever sees encrypted content, so even if it is compromised, an attacker won't gain access to anything but gibberish.

The only thing you need to create an account is a username and a password — no email addresses, no other PII.