Amazon Plans to Close Up Shop on Wickr’s User-Centric Encrypted Messaging App

A bit of greater than a yr in the past, Amazon, particularly Amazon Web Services, flashed its stacks of money because it introduced it was shopping for up the end-to-end encrypted messaging app Wickr. AWS customers may all of a sudden use Wickr’s companies, and a few reporters speculated Amazon may have been attempting to make a transfer within the more and more crowded encrypted messaging house.

That’s a lot more unlikely now as Amazon announced Monday it was nixing its safe messaging app Wickr Me. The tech big stated that Wickr would as an alternative be targeted on enterprise and public sector communications, particularly by AWS Wickr and Wickr Enterprise. The firm will now not enable registrations for Wickr Me after Dec. 31, and a yr later, on the tail finish of 2023, the app might be however a puff of smoke and a reminiscence.

Wickr was price within the ballpark of $60 million when it was bought, however just some years in the past Wickr was spouting off about its options that encrypted convention calls, which was a significant evolution within the encrypted messaging house. Amazon’s different messaging app, Chime, does videoconferencing with out encryption. In September, Amazon lastly added end-to-end encryption for the info despatched to customers by its Ring doorbells.

The firm added that they might be figuring out methods for customers to protect their knowledge, however the shift away from client apps factors to Amazon’s ongoing crush throughout this ongoing tech firm recession. The tech big is at present working by revolving rounds of layoffs and firm buyouts that can probably movement over into the new yr. Earlier this month, Amazon grew to become the primary firm ever to lose $1 trillion in inventory worth.

But AWS apparently needs Wickr to give attention to its enterprise and authorities clients way more than its common customers. Among these public entities utilizing Wickr is U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That contract was reportedly price round $900,000 when first reported in September final yr. Sure, the CBP needs encrypted communications, however Wickr additionally features a function that deletes all messages despatched through the app, which is an more and more harmful proposition for open authorities advocates. People like Maryland Governor Larry Hogan have been cited using Wickr whereas claiming they aren’t topic to the state’s open data legislation.

These authorities and enterprise contracts are apparently price sufficient cash that AWS doesn’t really feel the necessity to lower off itself from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regardless of years of protest. Yet Wickr itself doesn’t precisely have a squeaky clear report, even earlier than it was purchased out by Amazon. Wickr has been used to purchase medication and different illicit objects on the darkish internet, in response to reports. Of course, Wickr was not alone in folks utilizing encryption to facilitate shady dealings. Telegram, for instance, has been widely utilized by hacking teams, white supremacists, and crypto crooks.

Other main messaging apps like Facebook Messenger are nonetheless barely testing the waters of encryption. Facebook-owner Meta additionally introduced its different messaging app WhatsApp can be getting extra group messaging options that additionally embrace end-to-end encryption.