With Elon Musk at the helm of Twitter, a much-requested feature may finally be rolling out: end-to-end encryption for direct messages.
On Tuesday, app researcher Jane Manchun Wong uncovered some computer code in Twitter’s Android app that references the feature. Implementing the end-to-end encryption would mean Twitter itself could never open and read any messages sent over DMs.
Specifically, the code Wong uncovered mentions encryption keys, a necessary requirement for any end-to-end encryption system. “This number was generated from your encryption keys from this conversation. If it matches the number in the recipient’s phone, end-to-end encryption is guaranteed,” the code says.
Wong tweeted out her discovery and in response Musk posted the winking face emoji, another sign that the feature is real.
Adding end-to-end encryption promises to upgrade privacy on Twitter, and prevent law enforcement or hackers from obtaining the content of user DMs through a subpoena or a breach.
Twitter was originally spotted working on the end-to-end encryption feature for direct messages back in 2018 through a feature called “Secret Conversation,” but it was never launched. Twitter is now facing an overhaul under Musk. One of his key goals is to turn Twitter into a super app that can also be used to make payments and chat with friends, along with social media.
The end-to-end encryption on Twitter could help the app compete against other messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage, which already have the encryption feature as a default. But one challenge facing Musk is retaining staff. After initiating mass layoffs, Twitter’s new owner has issued existing employees an ultimatum, demanding they work long and "intense" hours to build the new Twitter, or face dismissal.
The shrinking workforce at Twitter, and the loss of several key executives, has also sparked concerns that the security at the social media platform may be at risk.