Advertisement

Viber to add encryption to its messaging app

Everybody's hopping on the E2E encryption train.

Viber announced on Tuesday that it is rolling out end-to-end encryption to its messaging app (vers 6.0) across every one of its platforms -- Android, iOS, Mac and PC -- and every one of its communications channels. That means every voice and video call, text message, video and photo share, regardless of whether it's a group chat and private message, will be encrypted. What's more, Viber is also adding a "hidden chat" feature that hides specific conversations from the homescreen and can only be revealed by entering a four-digit PIN.

"We take our users' security and privacy very seriously, and it's critical to us that they feel confident and protected when using Viber," Michael Shmilov, COO of Viber, said in a statement. "Because of this, we have spent a long time working on this latest update to ensure that our users have the most sophisticated security available and maximum control over their communications. We will continue to make this an ongoing priority as digital communication evolves."

The FBI's legal gambit against Apple has not turned out like the feds had hoped. Not only have they failed to strong arm the company into a security compromising precedent, the FBI's bullying has galvanized the rest of the industry and shown consumers how valuable encryption is against attacks on the 4th Amendment. It's not just Facebook fully encrypting Whatsapp or Apple locking down iMessages, smaller companies like Viber (obviously), Telegram and Line are all hopping onboard as well -- often at the behest of their users.