Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, announced via a tweet that the social media platform would soon be introducing an encrypted messaging feature. This announcement was made on Tuesday, with the expected roll-out of the feature happening on the following day, Wednesday.
Musk indicated that the initial version of this encrypted direct messaging feature would be the first step towards more advanced developments. He highlighted the high level of security in a quite dramatic way, stating that not even under extreme coercion would he be able to access these private conversations.
But the innovations don't stop there. Musk also mentioned plans for introducing voice and video chat capabilities. This would allow Twitter users to engage in real-time communication without having to share their personal contact information, adding a layer of privacy and convenience to the platform.
These developments have come six months into Musk's tenure as the CEO of Twitter. His focus has been on revitalizing the platform, which has been grappling with challenges such as a declining user base and fierce competition from other social media platforms like Mastodon and BlueSky. The latter was an innovation of Twitter co-founder and ex-CEO, Jack Dorsey.
By introducing encrypted messaging and call features, Twitter could position itself as a strong contender against social media conglomerates like Meta, owned by Mark Zuckerberg. Meta's products, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, are used by billions for daily communication. In contrast, Twitter had reported having 238 million daily users who could potentially see advertisements on their platform as of last July.
Musk has been a transformative force for Twitter since taking the company private in October. His leadership and policy changes have elicited mixed reactions, with some users, celebrities, and media entities expressing concerns about the platform's safety and reliability.
Among the responses to Twitter's evolving policies, notable right-wing TV host Tucker Carlson announced on Tuesday his plans to revive his show on Twitter. He lauded Twitter as the last standing significant platform upholding free speech, following his dismissal from Fox News the previous month.
