Twitter adds new DM features, and Musk claims encryption is here, starting today

Twitter has rolled out some quality of life updates for direct messages on the platform, and CEO Elon Musk reckons the site is to start encrypting DMs, beginning today, without providing proof that's the case. In a tweet last night, Twitter Support announced that a couple of well-trodden DM features from other platforms were …

[sarusa]

The Best Encryption

I'm sure the E2EE is the best ROT13 Elmo can manage. And of course even if it's encrypted it'll be decryptable at Twitter HQ (or even stored unencrypted), because Elmo would not be able to stand not being able to read people's personal messages if he wanted to. It's my company, damn it! And they're all plotting against me, I need to be able to see their lies!

[yetanotheraoc]

Re: The Best Encryption

with the "acid test" being that "I could not see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head."

So, not tested then.

[Excused Boots]

Re: The Best Encryption

Although it would be an interesting proof of concept.

I mean, is this some kind of challenge?

[Blazde]

Re: The Best Encryption

On the contrary. Just yesterday he held an unloaded gun to his own head, looked around the room for a full 20 seconds and couldn't see your DM anywhere.

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Since a week or two ago when Twitter stopped letting me search without logging in, I've decided I just don't care any more (not that I cared that much before).

[Anonymous Coward]

The Best Encryption.....Is Private Encryption......

Dear Elon:

y32DCpGxmvgVeDihgD8Jqz0369yzo5c3qfKTSjclMBQNSBQ9ANuPsri5oxSJODQpqp4JsREDEN6B

afQ30bqHeFKn8vsTIfQDif6Z490dS1WPY3ORy3MXQhW7OnKNAzAREJWZmZIxkPanMpY3eDqhM7yp

C5kHgd6BYp2tYDSbuvSzAXcnM1ebwFgx0pMRYBOvQHOloD2X8pkVafOjyLsbsxiroDUXIVSnmBEf

85c9qT6HuNSbKPu5ULC187S3cnMbA54r0jI9SLq56v8rm3iHOJWdwLGdcn85EhG9WvGHCnyxahkJ

gB0XgLGf6pgl4hWzm1wdgpoTyFGpwNY1aJuValAXaH2NyliNMza54Z0N2lgXap2NK9knA1iv0zOj

qdeBkhiTWHcXIlQD8l0VGlYR6Lu5orYDCZgJGryRibm5gDUrahsHwzcZOXctoZoNY14tq7u9GJgH

e1MFshsZqXALkhoDm10VefEZ4fOvmnOxmVSNqzsLQpYnOVgbmlsdAZsZqDC5MfYd2bGVuVqPSDcD

OPkNQjutGnYfGRCDCjyjI3mfSL6tE94BGlul4POBYNkNijqDMdEv47EnqhI9SL8LYn8BqbIzSHSp

choJQfgl27knePi5GRSxKz6TGrwNoT0d25oloVkVYNWbAJkhGJQpi1iFizwFERUR4RMv2Z2nSps9

wbAvgbYXaPeRsPoT8JWDoNMrSvoNmb0ncDoFg9Y3U3GZYVed0Xwz4nw161iTmv2fSvejq9KVkNqd

sRkNY1UhufmLEjkbovojGNU9KpKbO5MLyTGzG1IPORwHujM3MpGr8VIlY1eXmhAzeTU1u1QTCv0N

KHQbanyR6V4LKxuv4tUj2TMbwjClazE9QdEN25sdkZSlCxCR2xmb69G7APQzWL6luZQvUf4tw9G7

SxO3ylC3uriB6JGfsJ8HOhUx2vm7cHm1mTylYdgpeBiribaRIl85epynatQveHuPOZqhixkv0BEz

uDOfsXODWlMVEp8PedUtsDYrEPafYzKxoZcpYXyr4nQpERWJCNsRylILCHyBQvClkpY1CfMLOJKl

AfanOH0z8x65MbeP2vCHGDYNGloHo9G3Q3AZm1WbEheRSNYbyx4n6TgBgjM3cJg1w1oZohSd2HOp

MXU1e3a5qPkpqjCleHU9uRSd8BQBqxE7ujcbaRKR4BUpUneJ4dGdmZ8XCN2Hu7ODCpWxC1iL83W7

EH4B8bwbSr8Fsj8hWvKrIDwFWBOLSJUx23uDyPWdKrKxcdEn0xyhm36rw5Qnq9I3QdmvkByt8nS3

cPU3uZuBuxWJod45yhGTQrA5Cd2fULcBMZ43yNmRiheZs9ujYpm16b4VYP4bAtcrMruf0DSRQFep

uzo9ofEFArGzwz6h8LwXQVmBsDEJk7WdoJatUlUfQHC1W1qlYRgNYLqtSrwp0robGraFIR85WBwN

KlCBGJktORAJ63GtMP6j0ZKJideFG7qTuzwzuniRiDqPgHY7kjqFaZ0DadO54jkx0vQb4fq7q7YF

S30joX65ofyHU3cHUfaLyPa1mdaVIPGlaBstG3uF

Sincerely:

William Teach

Somewhere in North Carolina

P.S. No....it's not base64......

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Emoji

"with a wider range of emojis than ever before."

Why would anyone want a wider range of emoji? Twitter seem to manage perfectly well with just the one - the poop emoji.

[RobThBay]

Video chat... how retro

"adding voice and video chat so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number"

Blackberry's BBM on BB10 did all this about 14 years ago.

[Zippy´s Sausage Factory]

Re: Video chat... how retro

It's like MySpace - we never really realised how good the things were that we had until we lost them.

[Anonymous Coward]

Trust Melon Suks encryption?

Fat chance.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Musk says

"FSD is here"

"E2EE is here"

"Starship is ready" (icon)

[CowHorseFrog]

Re: Musk says

Starship will never fly and will be abandoned. Anyone willing too take bets it wont fly and land by 2030 ? Musk will get bored of investing resources and will abandon it. The next one will also destroy half its pad.

[Boolian]

Re: Musk says

Best to redefine that bet before everyone takes your money. A Starship has already flown and landed a few times.

A Starship c/w Booster, not so much.

[Anonymous Coward]

Private DMs

Like tunnelling.

Sounds boring.

[Zippy´s Sausage Factory]

Re: Private DMs

I see what you did there.

[notyetanotherid]

Signal

> it's a clear attempt to lure users from platforms like Signal, which offer encrypted communications by default, but require a phone number that's publicly visible and used to contact others.

It is probably worth mentioning that "phone number privacy" is coming to Signal, slated for release later this year....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Signal....and phone numbers.....

Quote: "....a phone number that's publicly visible....."

Yup......mine's a burner......what's yours?

....but then again, Signal is a single point of failure for personal privacy. How so? Well....do you know for sure that the Signal E2EE has not been broken (or subverted) by a three-letter (or four-letter) agency? Same goes for any transport using E2EE across the interweb!!!

Personally, I quite like our private encryption scheme....using Gmail for transport!!!

[Not Yb]

The Purpose

To get people to stop asking for encrypted DMs with the minimum viable product, and then not do anything because there's no money for real development.