PQChat, a new messaging app that mimics the offerings of Snapchat and WhatsApp, aims to make messaging as safe and secure as possible.
The app, developed by SRD Wireless, was just launched at the Apple App Store, with an Android version currently in development.
PQChat is claiming to be "the world's most secure mobile communications app," collecting no personal information from its users as they use the app to keep them from being exposed to the issues that have been made public with the revelations of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The app is based on SRD Wireless' patented NTS (Never-the-Same) encryption technology, which makes it possible for the exact same message sent twice through PQChat to have different encryptions. NTS technology, in turn, is based on the McEliece cryptosystem. According to SRD Wireless, this encryption system has never been broken, even with the usage of new era quantum computing techniques.
"The ongoing Snowden revelations have brought home just how easily accessible our personal information is to the NSA or other groups. Yet most people are still handing over information to data miners, spammers and criminals without understanding what they are doing," said SRD Wireless CEO Andersen Cheng.
"People need to take back control of their data: even the smallest amount of personal information can compromise your privacy and security. Modern communication tools simply aren't built with this as a priority and so make compromises in order to allow communication."
PQChat has a variety of features that can similarly be found in other messaging apps, but with a noticeable focus on security. Users can start using the app by first entering a five-digit pin code, and then from there, can begin adding friends to the contacts list. Users, however, need to authenticate the names that they add to their list through a video of their friend saying a code. This ensures that the account that you are adding is not a fake account that was made under your friend's name.
PQChat also has a timer like in Snapchat, which allows the users to set an amount of time that their message's recipient can view their message. It can be from as short as 15 seconds to as long as seven days. PQChat also allows users to delete messages after the user has sent them, preventing the recipient from receiving the contents of the message.
The app is currently free for download for personal use. It is also available to companies for a fee on a per-user basis, giving the company additional features such as backups for all messages sent and audit trails. Cheng, however, told V3 in an interview that the company is considering charging a minimal annual fee to its users for PQChat's basic version in the future.
