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 This doesn't make any DNS lookups or HTTP requests to the simplex.chat website if you have the app installed. It's an indicator for the mobile OS to open the link straight in the app, and the app will only look at the part after the hash.

If you don't have the app installed, this will indeed open in the browser and do a DNS lookup and HTTP request to the simplex.chat website. The website will just tell the user where to download the app. The URL part after the hash with connection details will not be sent to the website.

For these reasons, SimpleX will keep working *perfectly fine* when the website is down and there is no DNS entry for simplex.chat even. New users will then have to figure out by themselves where to download the app. This is important if the simplex.chat website gets nefariously taken down one day.

You can even use the alternative URL format that starts with simplex:// when sharing contact links if you're too concerned.

I don't think you understand how these things and are spreading FUD.