A most important new characteristic is formally coming to Twitter. Elon Musk has publicly showed what reassets had claimed in November 2022: encrypted direct messages (DMs) are a part of his Twitter 2.zero imaginative and prescient for the microblogging platform. According to Musk, the characteristic will debut someday in March 2023 if the entirety is going in step with plan.
Encryption is massive information for Twitter customers who've widespread expert or private engagement withinside the platform. Without encryption, Twitter personnel are capable of view messages; with encryption, now no longer even Twitter itself could be capable of view DMs. That`s a further layer of protection this is already to be had on Facebook Messenger, in addition to devoted encrypted messaging apps like Signal. Such protections could be specially reassuring in mild of beyond protection breaches at Twitter, together with the most important "bitcoin" hack of 2020 that ended in a few accounts' complete direct message histories being exposed.
At the equal time, encryption cannot clear up each records protection problem — for example, it cannot save you the social engineering that changed into utilized by hackers to get get admission to to the gear that made the aforementioned bitcoin rip-off viable. As Elon Musk guarantees Twitter 2.zero, a brand new imaginative and prescient for the provider purporting to restore flaws tolerated with the aid of using his predecessors, it stays to be visible simply how encryption could be hired and to what quantity it'll effect styles of use.
Encrypting Twitter DMs isn't always a brand new idea
Twitter has been exploring the opportunity of encrypting direct message records for the reason that nicely earlier than Musk's takeover, to the factor of attaining the prototype degree in 2018. The task seems to have stalled there, at the least as a ways as pre-Musk Twitter management is going. Twitter encryption appears to are becoming a leap from Musk, however.
Developer Jane Manchun Wong noticed the fundamental code shape for give up-to-give up encryption in November 2022. Wong tagged Musk on the time, who answered with a winking emoji. He has for the reason that showed that Twitter plans to roll out encrypted DMs someday in March 2023.
Though Musk has stated the enterprise is "aiming" to roll out encrypted messaging this month, it is viable we will see that timeline driven in addition out. Twitter is notoriously strolling on most effective a fragment of the team of workers it as soon as had because of large layoffs and a trendy worker exodus following Musk's acquisition in past due October. The fast discount in headcount has reportedly left many groups gutted at the same time as closing personnel face lengthy paintings hours on the way to meet Musk's ambitious, if now no longer inhumane, time limits for tasks and changes.