Put WhatsApp, Slack, admin privileges in a blender and what do you get? Wickr

'Wickr looks like a perfect solution: secure, automatic message deletion, easy to setup...'

I like this product. Its taken years since Snowden / Schrems to even bring about useful conversations about Privacy and the many business benefits. Signal has pointed the way forward and Telegram too despite the closed-source flaws. So having other choices that are open-source is a good thing. Who loves the US tech industry for burying the 'ugly truth', to the point the 'cancer' couldn't be contained anymore: FB-CA-Palantir etc.

But I have question... In business they say its all about location, location, location... Everything seems perfect about the product, but what about the location? Seems to be infinite demand for all these wonder-boy SF start-ups. Infinite willing investors for now at least. But we know US Govt Inc will interfere, and Dr Evil 'sell us your slurp' will come calling soon too.

Plus, could there be a recession around the corner? Economists can't agree. Could there be backlash against Silly 'con' Valley from all the daily news of privacy abuses? No one is sure. Could there be a backlash against America overall in general because of the likes of POTUS etc. Who knows, but there is definitely fear in the air. So Wickr, why not relocate elsewhere? Keep the product, just don't host it in USA-Inc!

I don't subscribe or buy American products or services whenever possible anymore. That kind of trust has long left the building! Plus the situation has only gotten worse. But you know what, I lament the American glory days, from the Space-Race to the early non-dystopian years of tech. It seems that the likes of Musk (SpaceX) and Sweeney (Fortnite fame) are the only ones keeping the lights on anymore... And guess what, neither of them are into the 'Surveillance-Economy'. Go figure! Just like the US old-school days which made America great, they both make real products!

Admin tool, or worse?

It may be sold as an admin tool, but Wickr and similar will eventually enable the PHBs to include "must possess suitable computing device" as an essential job requirement. Think of all the money the company can save if it never has to replace, or buy, computers ever again.

(I've already seen it happen where the sales crew was "kindly" asked to connect their personal cell numbers to corporate Google Voice accounts. Saved having to issue corporate cell phones, and the Twilio subscriptions could be scrapped.)

Two small steps

to an unfortunate name.

Wickr .. Winkr ... Wankr

"To his credit, Wallenstrom notes, unprompted, that if Wickr is served with a notice forcing it to introduce a backdoor, it will likely also include the requirement that he is not allowed to talk about it."

I'm surprised the topic of warrant canaries over this subject wasn't discussed in the interview, especially since the US has specific case law that would render a "compulsion to lie" subject to challenge on First Amendment grounds.

Obligatory XKCDs

Two which are particularly relevant:

https://xkcd.com/927/

https://xkcd.com/1810/

200 paying customers?

Sounds like you can't do anything without VC money. El Reg covered Wickr some years back but the market has moved on since then. There is now a choice of secure messengers: Signal, Wire, Threema, etc., with Signal and Wire being open source.

But for enterprises there is still BlackBerry, which has the advantage of established user base and toolset.

not the only toy in the shop

theres also other competing options that arent based where FISA warrants can get them

e.g. Hospify