Tech entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk is preparing to launch a new messaging app titled “X Chat,” aiming to rival Telegram and WhatsApp, with an expected release in the coming months.
“On X, we’ve completely revamped the messaging framework into what’s termed ‘X Chat,’” stated Musk during The Joe Rogan Experience podcast aired on Friday.
“It uses a peer-to-peer encryption system, similar to Bitcoin. It’s highly secure; we’re rigorously testing it.”
Musk expressed his hope for the new messaging platform to be launched in “a few months,” clarifying that it won’t incorporate any “advertising hooks,” contrasting with competitors like WhatsApp, which “gathers enough information about your messages to tailor ads,” he remarked.
“That’s a significant security risk because if it collects enough data to show you ads, that constitutes a lot of sensitive information,” he emphasized, noting that hackers could exploit those same “hooks” to intercept private messages.
Does WhatsApp read your messages?
WhatsApp’s parent firm, Meta, asserts it does not access private messages, explaining in its FAQ that communications between users are end-to-end encrypted via the Signal Protocol. This also applies to voice messages, media, and documents.
Nonetheless, it is known that “metadata,” such as the identities of your contacts and the frequency of interactions, is not encrypted. Additionally, WhatsApp does not automatically encrypt backup versions of your chat history.
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WhatsApp’s FAQ section regarding “Does WhatsApp collect or sell your data?” avoids addressing the latter question, only indicating that “we collaborate with other Meta Companies to enhance and support each other’s services.”
“If you opt to connect your WhatsApp experience with other Meta offerings, we will share certain information with Meta to facilitate this integration.”
X Chat won’t include these hooks, claims Musk
Musk assured that X Chat will not feature these advertising “hooks.”
“I’m not claiming it’s flawless, but our objective with X Chat is to substitute what was previously the Twitter DM framework with a fully encrypted system, allowing you to text, send files, and conduct audio and video calls, making it the most secure messaging platform available.”
He noted that the messaging application will be accessible both as part of the X platform and as a separate app.
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