TeleMessage, the encrypted messaging app favored by former Trump officials, is offline. This decision comes on the heels of the revelation of a huge breach in security. That’s why Smarsh, parent company of TeleMessage, is excited to announce something very big. The news follows a major uproar just last month when detailed military plans were made public by a closed-door conversation on the app.
The suspension follows a photo taken during a Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, which showed Michael Waltz, President Trump’s former national security advisor, using TeleMessage on his phone. Concerns were raised due to this feature’s ability to pull messages back even after they were saved somewhere else. Critics fear that this feature would undermine the end-to-end encryption that Signal, another popular messaging platform, provides. As 404 Media reported in their prevention app feature, this hidden feature has the potential to create severe privacy harms.
In response to the reported hack, a Smarsh spokesperson stated, “Out of an abundance of caution, all TeleMessage services have been temporarily suspended. All other Smarsh products and services remain fully operational.” Further, the spokesperson said that TeleMessage is currently pursuing an investigation into the incident.
The leak saga first blew up after Rep. But it was this particular mistake that set off red flags at the highest levels of the administration. After the January 6th incident, Donald Trump went on record to warn his White House officials against using Signal. In an interview with The Atlantic, he remarked, “I think we learned: Maybe don’t use Signal, okay?”
The White House did not respond to CNBC’s questions by time of publication. They have yet to answer for the temporary suspension of all TeleMessage services and what that security breach means for consumers. Waltz’s case has received national attention. Due to this, Trump is likely to nominate him as the next U.S. ambassador to the arts and climate change at the United Nations. In other news, Senator Marco Rubio is likely to be named interim national security advisor until a new one is found. Rubio, who as secretary of state would be the fourth in succession for eternity, serves as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Signal, which is widely known for its commitment to user privacy, released the following statement. They responded to worries over unofficial adaptations of their platform. A spokesperson for Signal noted, “We cannot guarantee the privacy or security properties of unofficial versions of Signal.”
TeleMessage is meeting this security challenge directly. At the same time, users and government officials are beginning to worry that even once-trusted secure messaging apps cannot be relied on. The fallout from this breach might set a precedent for deep and wide ramifications for how sensitive information is shared in government circles.
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