Tech billionaire Elon Musk has once again announced his entry into a new field, this time targeting the communication application market. In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, he revealed that the X platform is developing a brand new independent communication application “X Chat,” which is expected to be launched within a few months. X Chat will focus on end-to-end encryption, a no-ad tracking mechanism, and emphasize data privacy first.
The Birth of “X Chat”: Reconstructing X's Communication System
Musk stated in an interview: “We have just rebuilt the entire X platform's messaging architecture, now called 'X Chat'.” He pointed out that this new service uses a peer-to-peer encryption technology similar to Bitcoin and has undergone intensive testing. This brand new architecture is not only a comprehensive upgrade of the original Twitter direct messaging system (DM) but will also be launched as a standalone application, supporting text messaging, file transfers, voice and video call functions.
No data mining: X Chat promises a “zero advertising tracking mechanism”
Compared to mainstream messaging software that often comes with advertising and data collection mechanisms, Musk emphasizes that X Chat will not have any built-in backdoor mechanisms for ad placement — this is also one of the differences he cares about the most.
“WhatsApp will know what messages you sent in order to push ads based on the content, which is actually a major security vulnerability,” Musk said directly. “If it knows what you are saying, then hackers also have the opportunity to know what you are saying.”
Does WhatsApp really read your messages?
According to WhatsApp (whose parent company is Meta), all messages are end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol, meaning that the content of text, voice, media files, and documents should be unreadable by third parties.
However, WhatsApp is not entirely closed. Meta admitted in its official statement that “metadata” (such as who you chat with and how often) is not covered by encryption. In addition, chat backup files are not automatically encrypted.
Meta has not explicitly responded to whether it sells user data, only stating: “We will work with other Meta companies to provide and improve services.” This leaves external parties still holding doubts about its privacy policy.
X Chat will be launched in both X platform and standalone application versions.
Musk added that X Chat will not only be integrated into the X platform but will also be launched as a standalone app to attract a wider user base. He stated, “I can’t say it’s perfect, but our goal is to create an encryption messaging platform that replaces the old Twitter DM system. I believe it will be one of the most resistant communication tools to hacking currently available.”
As the communication battle begins, can X Chat break through?
As users' awareness of privacy and data protection increases, Musk's “ad-free, strong encryption” strategy may hit the mark. However, Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp have already established a strong user base and functional ecosystem, so X Chat will undoubtedly face significant challenges in breaking through.
In this article, Elon Musk launches “X Chat” to challenge WhatsApp and Telegram: featuring no ads and using encryption technology similar to Bitcoin, first appearing in Chain News ABMedia.
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