Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced that the new “X Chat” chat system that will be added to the X platform will use a peer-to-peer (P2P) encryption system similar to the operating logic of Bitcoin.
Musk said on the “Joe Rogan Experience” show that X’s messaging infrastructure had been completely rebuilt and that security should no longer be evaluated in terms of “secure or insecure” but rather based on “degrees of insecurity.”
Musk said that X Chat aims to be the “least secure” messaging app, adding that the system is currently undergoing intensive security testing. He also noted that the new system sets itself apart from its competitors by not including advertising ports. According to Musk, the ad targeting infrastructure used in competing apps may create a vulnerability that, if exploited, could lead to messages being read.
Musk said X Chat would be available “in the coming months,” both integrated with X and as a standalone app. He said users will be able to access text, file, voice and video calling features through the same system.
Chat on the X platform is currently available to Premium subscribers in beta, replacing the old direct messaging system. Users can share text, photos, media files, GIFs and documents. However, voice and video calls are not yet available.
Musk explained that X Chat’s architecture is based on the principles of “full end-to-end encryption” and “data minimization.” He noted that most messaging apps encrypt message content but retain metadata about who users communicate with and when. He added that X Chat aims to mitigate these risks by avoiding ad targeting.
*This does not constitute investment advice.