BitTorrent has launched a secure messaging app called Bleep.
Bleep is available for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. The messaging app works pretty much the same way as any other messaging app but with added security features. Bleep assures server-less, peer-to-peer, text or voice communications.
The app's release features a new "whisper" mode wherein messages are deleted from all participants' devices 25 seconds after they are received. "You can switch back and forth between normal and whisper messages seamlessly, so you don't lose the flow of your conversation," BitTorrent senior director of product development Farid Fadaie said, according to VentureBeat. Another feature is a screen-grab defeater, which blurs participants' names or their messages.
Aside from these, Bleep's highlights include:
No Personal Info Required: All that is required to get started in Bleep is a nickname. Sharing your email address or mobile numbers will be entirely up to you, although doing so can also help friends and acquaintances find you in through Bleep when they also get an account.
In Your Hands, Instead of the Cloud: Messages and encryption keys for images are stored in your local device, and not on the cloud. Hence, there is no server for hackers to target, and no information or images will get leaked to later haunt you.
Adding Friends is Easy: Add your friends through your device's address book, their email address or mobile number, or Bleep key. You can also scan or share a Bleep code to instantly add someone up.
Free Voice Calls: A phone icon at the top of a text conversation starts a Bleep-to-Bleep call with an online contact. Calls are connected directly, via a cloud service, with end-to-end encryption.
Cross-platform: Bleep works over cellular or Wi-Fi connections. Each device is registered with Bleep separately.
For BitTorrent, the time is right for Bleep as more people are becoming more dependent on cloud-based communications services, but at the same time, may be exposing themselves to pervasive state surveillance.
The app is currently free for all platforms.
