France builds WhatsApp rival due to surveillance risk

The French government is building its own encrypted messenger service to ease fears that foreign entities can spy on private conversations between top officials, France digital ministry said on Monday.

None of the world’s major encrypted messaging apps, including Facebook’s (FB.O) WhatsApp and Telegram, a favorite of President Emmanuel Macron, are based in France, raising the risk of data breaches at servers outside the country.

The ministry said about 20 officials and top civil servants are testing the new app which a state-employed developer has designed with the aim that its use will become mandatory for the whole government by the summer.

“We need to find a way to have an encrypted messaging service that is not encrypted by the United States or Russia.

“You start thinking about the potential breaches that could happen, as we saw with Facebook, so we should take the lead,’’ the digital ministry said.

The U.S. social network, which bought WhatsApp in 2014, has drawn heavy criticism since it acknowledged that information about many millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

“The French government’s encrypted app has been developed on the basis of free-to-use code found on the Internet and could be eventually made available to all citizens,’’ the ministry added.

The ministry however declined to give the names of either the codes or the messaging service.

Reuters.

Comments

Jerry Eze Launches $300,000 Empowerment Grant to Support Young Business Owners

Renowned pastor, author, and global prayer movement leader, Jerry Eze , has unveiled a $300,000 grant scheme aimed at empowering young entrepreneurs and supporting innovative business ideas across communities. The initiative is designed to provide financial relief, encouragement, and practical support to youths who are passionate about building sustainable businesses but face funding challenges. According to Jerry Eze, the grant scheme is part of his broader vision to promote economic empowerment, self-reliance, and hope among young people . He emphasized that many talented youths have viable ideas but lack the resources to bring them to life. Through this program, selected beneficiaries will receive funding to either start new ventures or expand existing ones. The grant is expected to be disbursed in phases, reaching multiple entrepreneurs from different sectors such as agriculture, technology, creative industries, fashion, and small-scale manufacturing. Beyond financial as...

ECOWAS declared state of emergency in West Africa

Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission declared a state of emergency on Tuesday amid escalating violent extremism and terror, military coups d’etat, banditry, and political instability in the sub-region. Touray declared this during the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level in Abuja. He said the events of the last few weeks had shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of democracy and the urgent need to invest in the sub-region’s security. According to him, country-by-country analyses of member states shows different risk levels across the sub-region from high to medium, with a high risk average, which requires immediate and concerted action. “Faced with this situation, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency. We must confront these threats with the attention they deserve. “For that, the sessions of the mediation and security council should be organized more regularly b...

Aide Reveals Reasons Plateau Governor Is Defecting to APC

Caleb Muftwang of Plateau is set to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Mr Istifanus Nwansat, the political adviser to the governor, made this known in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja. Nwansat said that the governor’s decision to join the APC was because it’s the option with the least risk in the face of the chaos in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Caleb Muftwang of Plateau is set to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report Mr Istifanus Nwansat, the political adviser to the governor, made this known in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja. Nwansat said that the governor’s decision to join the APC was because it’s the option with the least risk in the face of the chaos in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He explained that the impending defection of Muftwang to the APC would also align with President Bola Tinubu’s political and governance trajectory on ...

UKEMVERANEWS

Search This Blog