Encryption ensures that the content of calls and messages is protected and can only be accessed by the intended recipients. This helps safeguard sensitive information, such as personal conversations, financial details, or private data, from unauthorised access or interception by malicious entities.
It also enables individuals to express themselves freely and engage in open discussions without the fear of their conversations being monitored or censored. Encrypted calls and messages play a vital role in preserving privacy, fostering trust, and maintaining the integrity of social media platforms in today’s digital landscape.
Reuters reports that Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, has disclosed information about upcoming additions to the platform, including the introduction of call functionality and encrypted messaging.
In the past, Musk had announced plans for “Twitter 2.0 The Everything App,” which aimed to incorporate features like encrypted direct messages (DMs), longform tweets, and payment options.
By incorporating the call feature, Twitter will be aligning itself with other social media applications such as Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp which already offer similar capabilities.
Musk has mentioned that a version of encrypted direct messages will be made available on Twitter starting from Wednesday (10 May). However, it remains unclear whether calls will also be encrypted.
However, according to Twitter’s support page about “Encrypted Direct Messages“, to use the encrypted direct messages (DMs) on Twitter, certain conditions must be met.
Encrypted DMs are exclusively accessible to verified users, verified organizations, and affiliates of verified organizations. Which means users have to subscribe to Twitter Blue. This is a shame considering other platforms such as WhatsApp and Messenger are offering it for free.
Additionally, both the sender and recipient need to be using the latest version of the Twitter app on mobile or web. Moreover, in order for a recipient to receive encrypted DMs, they must either follow the sender, have previously sent a message to the sender, or have accepted a DM request from the sender at some point.
Currently, encrypted direct messages (DMs) on Twitter have certain restrictions and a notable drawback. They can only be sent in one-on-one conversations, as Twitter plans to introduce the feature for groups in the near future. Furthermore, encrypted DMs are limited to sending only text and links, excluding other types of media.
It’s important to note that Twitter has highlighted a significant vulnerability in this encryption implementation: it lacks protection against man-in-the-middle attacks. Twitter acknowledges that if an encrypted conversation is compromised by an individual with malicious intent, whether it be a malicious insider or as a result of a legal process, neither the sender nor the receiver would be aware of the compromise.
The company is actively developing mechanisms to enhance security and make it more challenging for such attacks to occur.
