Wickr’s free encrypted messaging app is shutting down subsequent yr

Wickr Me, the free encrypted messaging app owned by Amazon Web Services, is shutting down on December thirty first, 2023. In a post on its website, Wickr says the app will cease accepting new person registrations on December thirty first, 2022 earlier than going away fully subsequent yr.

AWS acquired Wickr final yr and began packaging the paid model of the safe messaging app inside its choices for companies. This model of the app, Wickr AWS, isn’t going away, and neither is Wickr Enterprise. The shutdown solely impacts the consumer-facing Wickr Me, which is commonly utilized by journalists, whistleblowers, and anybody seeking to maintain their messages away from prying eyes.

However, current stories recommend the app has develop into an outlet for criminals, with NBC News reporting in June that the app is “a go-to destination” for individuals who wish to share photos of kid intercourse abuse. It’s additionally been implicated prior to now as a hub for drug dealers who’ve been compelled off the darkish internet.

“After careful consideration, we will be concentrating Wickr’s focus on securing our business and public sector customers’ data and communications with AWS Wickr and Wickr Enterprise, and have decided to discontinue our consumer product, Wickr Me,” the put up reads. “We also realize that some of our business and public sector customers use Wickr to communicate with individual users outside their network. We’re focusing on enabling this in AWS Wickr too.”