With a new Twitter owner in place, change was inevitable and now we’re seeing some of Elon Musk’s ideas pave the way for a mega transition.
Recently, the billionaire announced some of his big plans for the platform, and this included adding end-to-end encryption such as Signal to direct messages (DMs) on Twitter. An important point to note here is that Twitter, back in 2018, internally tested the encryption for DMs, however, it appears that project somehow never got the chance to see the light of the day. In 2022, after Musk's takeover, the hope for that feature to come into existence is skyrocketing.
While the deal is yet to be followed through, many are raising their concerns on the matter. Yes, it would surely be an addedly level of privacy. But wait, that’s not all.
The decision could potentially open up a box full of opportunities that give rise to more criminal misuse of the app.
Musk revealed through a recent tweet how he wished the added feature could soon be implemented to prevent others from spying or even hacking your texts. This would be similar to what WhatsApp has, which has definitely done the app some good, not to mention increase its selling point.
With end-to-end encryption, all messages are jumbled after they leave the sender's phone and enter into the recipient’s. Therefore, any third party wishing to access it, simply cannot.
Studies have proven how a leading number of apps that use this format have greatly benefited. Common examples include Telegram and Signal, as well as WhatsApp. The feature has played a pivotal role in breaking down authoritarian regimes. Similarly, it put a halt to any uprisings that could come into play from different parts of the world.
It’s also being called out as a popular means in those regions where governments try to exert excessive control on what citizens are posting, giving rise to strict surveillance measures.
Therefore, it is not a major surprise to see why so many governments are not huge fans of the feature. They believe that with data scrambled, there’s no evidence left for investigators to examine. And that makes absolute sense.
But with the good does come the bad. There are more and more researchers stating that encryption is giving rise to the development of hacking strategies as well as counterfeit products.
Dealers are on the lookout for ways through which they can carry out chats for illegal purposes such as counterfeit products. Now, with encryption in place, they have no worry in the world that their messages are going to be seen by authorities or higher officials.
Clearly, the risk is there and that's one reason why governments are sounding the alarm.
Good or bad, here are some points worth a mention:
For now, we’re just going to have to wait and watch when and if the feature gets rolled out or not.
Read next: Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Says He Doesn’t Believe In Any Permanent Bans Other Than Illegal Activity
Recently, the billionaire announced some of his big plans for the platform, and this included adding end-to-end encryption such as Signal to direct messages (DMs) on Twitter. An important point to note here is that Twitter, back in 2018, internally tested the encryption for DMs, however, it appears that project somehow never got the chance to see the light of the day. In 2022, after Musk's takeover, the hope for that feature to come into existence is skyrocketing.
While the deal is yet to be followed through, many are raising their concerns on the matter. Yes, it would surely be an addedly level of privacy. But wait, that’s not all.
The decision could potentially open up a box full of opportunities that give rise to more criminal misuse of the app.
Musk revealed through a recent tweet how he wished the added feature could soon be implemented to prevent others from spying or even hacking your texts. This would be similar to what WhatsApp has, which has definitely done the app some good, not to mention increase its selling point.
With end-to-end encryption, all messages are jumbled after they leave the sender's phone and enter into the recipient’s. Therefore, any third party wishing to access it, simply cannot.
Studies have proven how a leading number of apps that use this format have greatly benefited. Common examples include Telegram and Signal, as well as WhatsApp. The feature has played a pivotal role in breaking down authoritarian regimes. Similarly, it put a halt to any uprisings that could come into play from different parts of the world.
It’s also being called out as a popular means in those regions where governments try to exert excessive control on what citizens are posting, giving rise to strict surveillance measures.
Therefore, it is not a major surprise to see why so many governments are not huge fans of the feature. They believe that with data scrambled, there’s no evidence left for investigators to examine. And that makes absolute sense.
But with the good does come the bad. There are more and more researchers stating that encryption is giving rise to the development of hacking strategies as well as counterfeit products.
Dealers are on the lookout for ways through which they can carry out chats for illegal purposes such as counterfeit products. Now, with encryption in place, they have no worry in the world that their messages are going to be seen by authorities or higher officials.
Clearly, the risk is there and that's one reason why governments are sounding the alarm.
Good or bad, here are some points worth a mention:
- Elon Musk is not totally correct about no one being able to spy or hack.
- Anyone having access to either the sender or the receiver’s number would be able to read the message sent through Twitter’s DM.
- It’s not only autocratic governments but Western leading powers who also wish to resist the change.
For now, we’re just going to have to wait and watch when and if the feature gets rolled out or not.
Read next: Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Says He Doesn’t Believe In Any Permanent Bans Other Than Illegal Activity
