Matrix Federation

Matrix Federation is an essential part of the Matrix protocol, enabling seamless communication between users on different servers. This guide will explain what Matrix Federation is, how it works, and why it should remain enabled.

TL;DR

• Is it secure? Yes
• Is it safe? Yes
• Will any information be leaked? No
• Will any random person be able to join my rooms? No
• Is there any reason to disable it? No
• What happens if I disable it? You will lose many features, including the self-service bot, integration manager, sticker picker, and many other functionalities.
• Should I disable it? No
• Can I disable it? Yes, but it’s not recommended.
• I am scared of federation. Should I be? No

We hope this clarifies any confusion about Matrix Federation.

What is Matrix Federation?

Federation allows users on different Matrix servers to participate in the same room. For this to function, external servers must be able to communicate with yours to transmit messages.

Think of Matrix Federation like email: just as you can send an email from Gmail to a Yahoo account and receive a reply, Matrix Federation works in a similar way, ensuring open communication across servers.

Is it Secure and Safe?

Yes, by Design

Matrix Federation facilitates communication between servers without exposing any information by default. Here’s how secure room participation works:

1. Inviting Members: A member with invite privileges can invite someone to a room. This action is logged in the room’s timeline, making it visible to all members. Once the invite is accepted or rejected, it is also recorded in the timeline.
2. Joining with a Link:
   • Room administrators must make the room public in the settings. This action is logged.
   • Room administrators must assign a room alias, which is also logged.
   • (Optional but recommended) Administrators can set the room’s history visibility to Anyone, enabling members to see history from before they joined. This does not apply to end-to-end encrypted rooms.
   • Anyone with the room alias can join the room, and their join action will be logged.

Can Someone Access a Room Without an Invite or Making it Public?

No. Accessing a room requires either an invite or joining a public room.

Can Someone Read Messages Without Joining?

No. Reading messages in a room requires membership, obtained through an invite or joining a public room.

Reasons

To Disable Federation

None. Federation is a core feature of the Matrix protocol, and disabling it will severely limit your server’s functionality.

Not to Disable Federation

Disabling federation severely limits server functionality. It’s a fundamental aspect of the Matrix protocol and supports many features, including:

• Self-Service Bot
• Integration Manager
• Sticker Picker

Still Want to Disable Federation?

If you’re determined to proceed, contact us and send the following statement:

I am of sound mind and fully aware that I wish to disable one of the fundamental features of the protocol, effectively limiting my access to modern advancements and reverting to a pre-internet era of isolated networks that do not offer superior information protection. I request that federation be disabled for my server, understanding that this change will leave me with a partially functional server.