Daily Post May 19 2025
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Calyx Meet
Secure and reliable video conferencing is more valuable than ever. Whether for business meetings, remote education, activism, or simply staying in touch with friends and family, the tools we use to connect online make our experience and, our privacy. As you know there are many platforms available, Jitsi Meet is one that is open-source and has a commitment to user privacy.
As expected in the FOSS world, building on this foundation it always possible due to the open nature, Calyx Meet offers a specialized, privacy-focused instance of Jitsi Meet, hosted by the nonprofit Calyx Institute. This post explores the similarities and differences between Calyx Meet and Jitsi Meet, and highlights how the open-source philosophy enables innovation and user contribution to FOSS.
Jitsi Meet is Open Source at Its Core
Jitsi Meet is a free, open-source video conferencing platform that has gained widespread popularity for its ease of use, flexibility, and respect for user privacy. Developed by the Jitsi community and now maintained by 8x8, Inc., Jitsi Meet allows anyone to host or join video meetings without the need for an account or subscription. Its open-source codebase means that anyone can review, modify, or self-host the software, making it a favorite among privacy advocates and tech-savvy users.
The public instance of Jitsi Meet, available at meet.jit.si, offers encrypted video calls, screen sharing, chat, and a host of other features. Importantly, Jitsi Meet does not impose arbitrary time limits on meetings, nor does it require users to hand over personal information to participate. This commitment to openness and privacy has made Jitsi Meet a go-to solution for individuals and organizations seeking an alternative to commercial platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Calyx Meet Privacy First
Calyx Meet is, a customized deployment of Jitsi Meet, hosted and maintained by The Calyx Institute. The Calyx Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting privacy, security, and digital rights. By offering its own public instance of Jitsi Meet at meet.calyx.net, Calyx Institute provides a video conferencing service specifically tailored for users who prioritize privacy and anonymity.
Calyx Meet leverages the same underlying technology as Jitsi Meet, it distinguishes itself through its hosting policies, privacy practices, and the values of the organization behind it. Calyx Institute’s commitment to transparency, and non-commercial operation means that users can trust their data is handled with the utmost care. This makes Calyx Meet particularly appealing to activists, journalists, and anyone for whom privacy is not just a preference, but a necessity.
Comparing the User Experience
At first glance, using Calyx Meet and Jitsi Meet is nearly identical. Both platforms offer the same interface, allowing users to create or join meetings with a simple link. No registration or software installation is required, and both support a range of features including screen sharing, chat, and virtual backgrounds.
However, the differences become apparent when considering the context in which each service operates. Jitsi Meet’s public instance is hosted by 8x8, Inc., a commercial entity that, while supportive of open-source principles, ultimately answers to business interests. Calyx Meet, on the other hand, is hosted by a nonprofit whose mission is to defend digital privacy and civil liberties. This distinction is not merely philosophical; it has real-world implications for how user data is managed, what logs are kept, and how responsive the service is to privacy concerns.
For example, Calyx Institute is transparent about its minimal logging policies and its refusal to monetize user data. The organization is funded by memberships and donations, not advertising or data sales. In contrast, while Jitsi Meet’s public instance is also privacy-respecting, users must trust that 8x8’s policies and practices will remain aligned with their interests over time.
Security and Privacy
Both Jitsi Meet and Calyx Meet provide strong security features, including encrypted communication channels and the option to set meeting passwords. However, neither platform offers full end-to-end encryption for group calls by default, as this remains a technical challenge for most video conferencing solutions. Nonetheless, the open-source nature of Jitsi Meet means that security researchers and the broader community can audit the code and suggest improvements.
Where Calyx Meet is strong in its privacy philosophy. The Calyx Institute has a long-standing reputation for championing digital rights, and this ethos permeates its hosting of Calyx Meet. The service is designed to minimize data collection, avoid tracking, and help users to communicate freely without fear of surveillance. For those who require a higher level of trust-such as whistleblowers, journalists, or activists operating in sensitive environments-Calyx Meet offers peace of mind that is hard to match.
Customization and Community The Point of FOSS
One of the aspects of both Jitsi Meet and Calyx Meet is their foundation in FOSS. This means that anyone can take the source code, modify it, and deploy their own version of the service. This is precisely what the Calyx Institute has done: taken the string, well-tested Jitsi Meet platform and adapted it to better serve the needs of its community.
This ability to build upon existing work is one of the greatest strengths of FOSS. It allows organizations and individuals to innovate, address specific needs, and create alternatives that might not be possible with proprietary software. In the case of Calyx Meet, the Calyx Institute has taken a good thing-Jitsi Meet-and made it even better for privacy-conscious users. This is the beauty of open-source: it fosters a collaborative ecosystem where improvements are shared, and users are not locked into a single provider’s vision or business model.
The broader Jitsi community benefits from this dynamic as well. Improvements made by organizations like the Calyx Institute can be contributed back to the main project, enhancing the platform for everyone. This cycle of innovation and sharing is what sets open-source software apart from its closed-source counterparts.
Trust and Transparency
Trust is a important factor in choosing a video conferencing platform, especially when sensitive conversations are involved. Both Jitsi Meet and Calyx Meet are transparent about their technology, thanks to their open-source roots. However, the entity hosting the service also matters. With Jitsi Meet’s public instance, users are placing their trust in 8x8, Inc., a company that has so far demonstrated a commitment to privacy but is ultimately subject to commercial pressures.
Calyx Meet, on the other hand, is operated by a nonprofit with a clear and consistent mission to protect user privacy. The Calyx Institute’s funding model-relying on memberships and donations rather than advertising or data monetization-further reinforces this trust. Users can review the organization’s policies, examine its track record, and even participate in its community. This level of transparency and accountability is rare in the world of online services.
The Impact
The existence of both Jitsi Meet and Calyx Meet illustrates the promise of open-source software. Making the source code available to all, Jitsi has enabled a diverse ecosystem of deployments, each tailored to different needs and values. Calyx Meet is just one example of how FOSS can be adapted to serve specific communities, in this case, those who prioritize privacy and security.
This adaptability is not just a technical advantage; it is a social and political one as well. With digital surveillance and data exploitation so rampant, the ability to choose-or even create-tools that align with one’s values is a good thing. It allows individuals and organizations to resist the one-size-fits-all approach of commercial platforms and to demand more from the technology they use.
Check it out here: https://calyxinstitute.org/projects/digital-services/calyx-meet