The privacy messenger doesn't respect my privacy

[ghost]

Steps to reproduce

Open Element in Tor Browser

Outcome

Blank page, Uncaught TypeError: Intl.Segmenter is not a constructor

Operating system

Tails

Browser information

Tor Browser

URL for webapp

app.element.io

Application version

Release v1.11.70

Homeserver

matrix.org

Will you send logs?

No

[t3chguy]

See https://github.com/element-hq/element-web#supported-environments - issues related to unsupported environments are closed as per the linked policy

[ghost]

So you're saying you don't & will not support Tor Browser?
Y'know, the network & web browser for people who wish to use the Internet privately, and who might live in oppressive countries with heavily restricted & censored Internet access?
Nice "privacy & freedom" messenger bro

[t3chguy]

That is the policy set by management at this time. You can use Tor socks proxy with Element Desktop. Tor being amnesiac is not going to work well until Dehydration support lands anyway if you use end to end encryption.

[ghost]

That is the policy set by management at this time.

Then fire the current management and hire a new one, simple as that.
The current policy is absolutely retarded & braindead no matter how you look at it.

You can't just break your software for people who use LTS. Remember that this is now broken for everyone who uses Debian, Firefox ESR, Mullvad Browser, Tor Browser, the list goes on and on. This is completely asinine.
Matrix already has a shitty reputation, and it feels like you people are trying your absolute hardest to alienate as many users as you possibly can. Now you've casually broken the software for Tor Browser users, and you somehow think that's fine. Then in a week or so from now you will write your usual blogpost on matrix.org about your lack of funding and "waaah nobody wants to give us money". Yeah I fucking wonder why.

Why in God's name do you require the latest versions of Firefox to begin with?
It's a fucking chat app, not some hyper-complex WebGPU-based deep learning DNA simulation requiring the absolute latest new browser optimizations or whatever.

Jesus christ.

[ghost]

I am trying to remain as calm & collected as I can be in this situation, but it is absolutely mind-boggling to me that you seem to think there's nothing wrong with the current policy, and are actively willing to introduce breaking changes willy-nilly.

I already brought this up in another issue, but you know it's an extremely pathetic situation when a spyware such as Discord works just fine in Tor Browser, but the """privacy & freedom""" messenger Element doesn't.

This is just sad.

[t3chguy]

Its a chat app sure, but with more complex features in crypto and otherwise than MS Teams and Slack which both explicitly do not support Firefox ESR also.

I suggest following #27684 if Tor is close enough to ESR for that to count, or spin up your own Enhancement request for Tor specifically.

[andreymal]

more complex features in crypto

Intl.Segmenter is not crypto ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[rosemash]

[MS Teams and Slack] do not support Firefox ESR

MS Teams and Slack aren't open source and don't presume to be privacy/security oriented software

[guidomz]

why was this issue closed when apparently the issue hasn't been addressed nor properly discussed?

[guidomz]

That is the policy set by management at this time. You can use Tor socks proxy with Element Desktop. Tor being amnesiac is not going to work well until Dehydration support lands anyway if you use end to end encryption.

Proxy (and therefore Torsocks proxy) is not an option in the Element Desktop configuration or settings.

This just hangs in there and does nothing:

torsocks --shell
/opt/Element/element-desktop %U

[guidomz]

There's a bunch of other [better] clients: https://matrix.org/ecosystem/clients/ . I tried cinny just now and it works in the torbrowser.

[t3chguy]

why was this issue closed when apparently the issue hasn't been addressed nor properly discussed?

The issue was closed because #27684 says Issues only affecting unsupported environments are closed

The discussion is in #27684

Proxy (and therefore Torsocks proxy) is not an option in the Element Desktop configuration or settings.

 ~/W/element-desktop   t3chguy/macos-workaround …  /Applications/Element.app/Contents/MacOS/Element -h
Options:
  --profile-dir {path}: Path to where to store the profile.
  --profile {name}:     Name of alternate profile to use, allows for running multiple accounts.
  --devtools:           Install and use react-devtools and react-perf.
  --no-update:          Disable automatic updating.
  --hidden:             Start the application hidden in the system tray.
  --help:               Displays this help message.
And more such as --proxy, see:https://electronjs.org/docs/api/command-line-switches