Elon Musk is launching a new standalone messaging platform, “X Chat,” aiming to challenge established services like Telegram and WhatsApp. Set to debut within the next few months, Musk’s latest project emphasizes privacy, security, and a departure from the ad-driven models of current giants in the messaging space.
Key Features of X Chat
- •Elon Musk plans to release X Chat as a secure, peer-to-peer encrypted messaging app without advertising integrations.
- •The platform will offer features including text messaging, file sharing, audio and video calls.
- •Musk highlights that X Chat will have enhanced security measures, reducing vulnerabilities found in competing messaging apps.
- •Unlike WhatsApp, which is affiliated with Meta, X Chat aims to eliminate data-sharing hooks and avoid metadata collection.
- •This move signals Musk’s focus on privacy-focused blockchain-inspired encryption for mainstream communication tools.
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has announced plans to develop and launch a new messaging app called “X Chat,” designed to directly compete with popular platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp. The project is anticipated to roll out within the coming months, aiming to capitalize on increasing user demand for privacy-centric communication solutions.
During his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Musk revealed that X Chat represents a complete rebuild of Twitter’s messaging infrastructure. “On X, we just rebuilt the entire messaging stack into what’s called ‘X Chat,’” Musk explained. He detailed that the new system leverages peer-to-peer encryption similar to Bitcoin’s security protocols, describing it as “very good encryption; we’re testing it thoroughly.”
“It’s using a peer-to-peer based encryption system, kind of similar to Bitcoin. It’s very good encryption; we’re testing it thoroughly.”
Musk clarified that X Chat will be free of advertising “hooks,” contrasting it with platforms like WhatsApp, which he claims “knows enough about what you’re texting to know what ads to show you.” He emphasized that this data collection introduces security vulnerabilities and compromises user privacy, as hackers could exploit such “hooks” to access private messages.
Examining WhatsApp's Privacy Practices
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, asserts that it does not access users’ private messages, which are end-to-end encrypted via the Signal Protocol. This encryption covers messages, media, voice notes, and documents. However, privacy advocates point out that “metadata”—such as who you contact and how often—is not encrypted, exposing some aspects of user communication to potential analysis.
Moreover, WhatsApp does not automatically encrypt backup copies of chat histories, further raising privacy concerns. The company’s FAQ on data collection states that it shares some information across Meta’s ecosystem, especially if users integrate their WhatsApp account with other Meta services, but it does not explicitly disclose whether it sells user data.
Musk's Vision for X Chat: Prioritizing User Privacy
Reinforcing his stance, Musk assured that X Chat would not contain advertising “hooks,” aiming to provide a more secure and private user experience. “I’m not saying it’s perfect, but our goal with X Chat is to replace what used to be the Twitter DMs with a fully encrypted system where you can text, send files, and do audio-visual calls,” he said. “It will be the least insecure messaging system of its kind.”
Designed to integrate seamlessly with the existing X platform and also function as a standalone app, X Chat signifies Musk’s ongoing push for privacy-focused blockchain-driven technology in the realm of digital communication. As discussions around crypto regulation and digital privacy intensify, this move underscores a broader industry shift toward more secure, decentralized messaging solutions.