How anonymous is irc? reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- marsstroller · 2018-07-03 08:29 I have a few questions... Is there some kind of ssl for irc? Can people see my ip if I don’t register? Is it necessary to use tor and vpn if you want to be anonymous on irc? How can I have a private anonymous chat with someone I know using irc? Any suggestions appreciated, thanks!! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ChickenOfDoom · 2018-07-03 08:34 The server owner can see your ip, so yes it would be necessary to use a proxy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CheezyXenomorph · 2018-07-03 08:53 > Is there some kind of ssl for irc? Some servers support SSL (actually TLS, but I know what you mean), that encrypts your messages to the IRC server and verifies you are in fact talking to the IRC server you think you are. However your messages to channels and other people on the server are only encrypted if the people in that channel use it too. > Can people see my ip if I don’t register? IP masking is a (relatively) new feature of IRC servers, and I mean relative in that it's post 2000s that it started to appear. By default the IRC protocol exposes your IP to everyone regardless of you registering or not. Lots of networks now implement some form of IP masking, either through registering or by default. > Is it necessary to use tor and vpn if you want to be anonymous on irc? Ultimately, yes. Although many networks also block TOR and even some common VPN providers, because having truly anonymous users is bad for the overall experience for everyone. > How can I have a private anonymous chat with someone I know using irc? A quick list, to use in combination. * Ultimately, don't use IRC, use something designed with that in mind, like signal or telegram. * Use another layer of encryption on top of your messages, like GPG or something and use a VPN provider. * Practice good information hygiene and make sure you say nothing that would give away your identity. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- marsstroller · 2018-07-03 08:58 Thanks so much that’s really helpful!! I read somewhere that hackers and criminals sometimes use irc to communicate so I was wondering how they don’t get caught, maybe they use their own servers or something. But it sounds like irc isn’t what I’m looking for, I’ll check out what you suggested, cheers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CheezyXenomorph · 2018-07-03 09:04 IRC is from a different time. Yeah people like that used to use it a lot, but it's always been an inherently open platform where everyone could see everything everyone was doing with little to no oversight. It's use was because it has always been a bit niche in these modern times of websites, so you wouldn't necessarily find "normal" people on it. These days you have platforms designed from the ground up to be private, encrypted and untraceable, all things IRC aren't. In my experience people who are after anonymity use them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2018-07-03 09:09 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kemperdude · 2018-07-25 16:16 Look into using an irc bnc or znc. If you aren't tech savvy enough for those, the only option is a vpn. If your vpn disconnects for some reason and your irc client reconnects, you are exposing your IP.