Jitsi, the open-source video conferencing platform, now requires a Google, Microsoft, or Facebook account for their online service

Those are all SaaS providers with meeting software available. If someone was using Jitsi, it was specifically to not use a login with any of those providers. They're actively deciding not to continue operation with this. Its like when OnlyFans declares they wouldn't allow adult content going forward

Why is everyone up in arms about this? The abuse of their free service was rampant. This isn't a core project change, this is just a measure to keep a version of the project up for free without completely taking it down. They don't even have a way to monetize this. An alternative was to simply shut it down and only allow you to self host it.

I self host my Jitsi instance, but as a privacy nut, I don't see a problem with this. Absolute privacy cannot always coexist with free anonymous services. Don't blame Jitsi, blame the people who ruined it for everyone else.

This is its downfall

Earlier this year we saw an increase in the number of reports we received about some people using our service in ways that we cannot tolerate. To be more clear, this was not about some people merely saying things that others disliked.

Cannot be less clear.

Anyway I don't understand why you'd need an account. I've always created rooms and share the link to people to invite. You can setup a password if you want privacy. Any reason to login?

@esaru

"One option to avoid this is to self-host, but then you’ll be identifiable via your domain and have to maintain a server."

Makes it a non issue.

It's free as in freedom not as in free beer and that's that.

Jitsi doesn't have to offer free service and they particularly don't have to provide anonymity.

The same is true for the fediverse, since the admins have info that could help identify users. That has it's uses too.

Relax. Just use a different server. May not be exactly accurate either. How in the world do you have any idea who uses what server. I have never used this server.

One way is join the FSF and use their server. There are others or host your own too. The load and cost needs to be spread anyway.

It ded

It's hypocritical to call your service "privacy friendly" and then require the use of a Google/Facebook/GitHub account to log in. I kinda understand the reason why they do this, but they could have at least allowed you to use a more private email provider.

Good thing that you can still self host it, post your favorite jitsi instances below for everyone to use.

I'll start with this one: https://calls.disroot.org/

I guess I don't need their app anymore on my phone, then. More free space to me.

Though using an other instance as mentioned by other comments is also an option, I think the mobile app supports that too, even if it's a bit complicated

Edit: after reading the article, this might really not be their fault. At the end they also encourage the reader to host it themselves. They are not very transparent with what's the actual problem, though..

This is indeed sad news. I made my friends (who don't care about free software) switch from google meet to jitsi for video calls just the other month.

The only thing that got them sold on jitsi was that it required no login.

That said, it is completely understandable that some users may feel uncomfortable using an account to access the service. For such cases we strongly recommend hosting your own deployment of Jitsi Meet. We spend a lot of effort to keep that a very simple process and this has always been the mode of use that gives people the highest degree of privacy.

Seems like you can avoid it by self-hosting. Still a very suspicious move, kinda defeats the whole point of an alternative to big tech conference services.

Google, GitHub and Facebook for starters but may modify the list later on

Maybe they could support some auth provider from some fediverse app? That would be kinda neat.

Wasn't easier to just shutdown the server?

I use jitsi just because doesn't have Facebook/Google/Microsoft login

ITT: People not understanding the difference between a free publicly hosted instance and the OSS tool itself.

Lol, it was my GOTO specifically because it doesn't require a login and I can send it to my parents who need minimal clicks to enter the room. I even have family that doesn't have a github, facebook, nor google account, so they won't be able to join.

Amazing move Jitsi.

Earlier this year we saw an increase in the number of reports we received about some people using our service in ways that we cannot tolerate. To be more clear, this was not about some people merely saying things that others disliked.

What kind of "illegal things" were they doing? Say it, so that we can comprehend. Make it make sense.

I really hope this doesn't become a trend, but every time I see a few buttons for signup with email coming last I have to wonder.

Criminals ruin everything.

RIP

Oh hell no. Why they dont make it optional?

Here are some interesting lists of alternative instances:

https://jitsi.github.io/handbook/docs/community/community-instances/
https://ladatano.partidopirata.com.ar/jitsimeter/
https://timo-osterkamp.eu/random-redirect.html

By the way, by default jitsi is not end-to-end encrypted if you have more than two people in the call or need to use the videobrige for other reasons. https://jitsi.org/e2ee-in-jitsi/

Update: The e2ee implementation seems to have some issues as well: https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1118

Firefox <116 is currently not able to use the e2e-encryption, blink based browser already support it. Firefox 117 will provide the necessary infrastructure as well. I don't know if jitsi would have ot be patched to detect the firefox implementation. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1631263#c58

Well looks like jitsis gone.

Well, time to find another instance, cause fuck that noise

If its open-source, couldn't somebody just fork it and remove the login requirement?

How disappointing.

It was great for sharing private contact info with Google/Facebook/etc friends without revealing it to those invasive services. Instead of sharing your private address where it would be harvested, you could meet in an anonymous Jitsi room, exchange addresses there, and contact each other directly from then on.

Self-hosting doesn't solve that use case, unless perhaps you're willing to buy throw-away domains and IP addresses every time you do it.

Permanently Deleted

RIP Jitsi ಠ_ಠ

lmao

now its time to uninstall.