Tech entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk is ready to launch a standalone messaging app referred to as “X Chat” to compete with Telegram and WhatsApp, with a rollout anticipated throughout the subsequent few months.
“On X, we simply rebuilt the complete messaging stack into what’s referred to as ‘X Chat,’” said Musk throughout The Joe Rogan Expertise podcast, which aired on Friday.
“It’s utilizing a peer-to-peer-based encryption system, sort of just like Bitcoin. It’s superb encryption; we’re testing it completely.”
Musk stated he hopes the brand new messaging app can be launched in a “few months,” including it gained’t have any “hooks for promoting” as he pointed to opponents like WhatsApp, which “is aware of sufficient about what you’re texting to know what advertisements to indicate you,” he stated.
“However then, that’s a large safety vulnerability as a result of if it is aware of sufficient info to indicate you advertisements, that’s a number of info,” he stated, including that hackers may use those self same “hooks” to learn non-public messages.
Does WhatsApp learn your messages?
WhatsApp’s dad or mum firm, Meta, claims it doesn’t have entry to non-public messages, explaining in its FAQ that messages between persons are end-to-end encrypted utilizing the Signal Protocol. This additionally covers voice messages, media and paperwork.
Nevertheless, it’s understood that “metadata,” corresponding to who you chatted with and the way typically you discuss with them, is just not encrypted. WhatsApp additionally doesn’t routinely encrypt backup copies of your chat historical past.
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WhatsApp’s FAQ part on “Does WhatsApp accumulate or promote your information?” skirts answering the latter a part of the query, solely explaining that “we work with different Meta Corporations to assist present, enhance and help one another’s providers.”
“In case you select to combine your WhatsApp expertise with different Meta merchandise, we’ll share some info with Meta to make this doable.”
X Chat gained’t have these hooks, says Musk
Musk promised that X Chat gained’t have these promoting “hooks.”
“I’m not saying it’s excellent, however our objective with X chat is to switch what was once the Twitter DM stack with a totally encrypted system the place you may textual content, ship information, do audio video calls, and I believe will probably be the least insecure of any messaging system.”
He added that the messaging app can be obtainable as a part of the X platform and as its personal standalone app.
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