![]() ![]() Like most messaging apps, Wickr allows users to post their content to social media. (In fact, Wickr sees Facebook as a competitor, expressing its desire to supplant the notoriously data-hungry company.)Īnd this is where the fun part comes into play. Users share content with their friends in a familiar scrolling feed (just like Snapchat, Skype, or WhatsApp), only messages "self-destruct" within 24 hours-leaving no trace of their existence, and never falling into the hands of Facebook. Other mainstream instant messenger apps with dependable end-to-end encryption that offer at least the option of pseudonymous registration are WhatsApp, iMessage, and Viber.Wickr is basically as if Instagram and Snapchat were combined into one, with an even greater focus on privacy. ![]() People looking for free end-to-end encrypted apps that allow anonymous registration may look at other encrypted messaging apps, such as Signal, Wire, or Threema. ![]() In summary, Amazon is either uninterested in or unable to stop illicit activity on Wickr, at least with the assigned resources, and an investment to build a larger policy enforcement team presumably isn’t worth it for a free app. Users of this sort are taking advantage of the security the app offers them in combination with the lack of policy enforcement, allowing them to share illegal material or organize operations without risking being identified.Īmazon doesn’t police activity on Wickr very fervently, flagging only a handful of cases out of thousands that were reported in the past years. There have been multiple reports about the app being used by pedophiles, abuses, and also drug dealers in the United States, the UK, and Australia. However, blatant abuse of the platform for illicit activities might have played a key role. Wickr AbuseĪmazon did not elaborate on the reasons that led to the decision to shut down Wickr Me. Moreover, AWS Wickr is compatible with data retention obligations, so it can be used by a broad range of private and public organizations, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.įor now, there are no instructions on how Wickr Me users can port their data to AWS Wickr, but information on that front will be made available in the coming months. “We understand the need for our customers to maintain secure communication for sensitive information, and we are working closely with customers to meet their needs with AWS Wickr,” mentions the announcement.ĪWS Wickr is also end-to-end encrypted, meaning that any data intercepted by in-betweeners is encrypted with AES-256, so communications are safe from eavesdroppers. Wickr was acquired by Amazon Web Services on June 25, 2021, so it didn’t take long for the new owners to form a strategy that will better serve their business interests.Īs the company explained in an announcement on the Wickr site, it will stop accepting new user registrations on December 31, 2022, and ultimately pull the plug on the platform on December 31, 2023.ĪWS Wickr and Wickr Enterprise, used in business environments, will continue to be supported by Amazon, with the company promising to focus its resources on these products now. Amazon has decided to discontinue Wickr Me, the free-to-use consumer edition of the end-to-end encrypted instant messenger app. ![]()
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