Naven
Answers
What is the safest way to chat with people you do not know?
Prefer a space with a topic over a direct conversation, keep it on the platform, and give out nothing that identifies you off it — no phone number, no address, no school or employer.
Most harm comes from the move off-platform. A conversation that starts in a moderated space and moves to a private channel with no screening and no record is the pattern behind most grooming and most scams, and it is usually proposed early and casually.
The second pattern is the identifier. A phone number is a permanent handle that links to far more than you intend. Platforms that do not require one make this easier to avoid.
On Naven nobody can start a conversation with you unless they already have your email address or exact username, which removes the cold approach entirely.