We all are familiar with Viber, an instant VoIP and messaging app, which has recently added a new feature to its app. It is one of the largest messaging apps with almost 800 million users around the globe. Viber has rolled out a new feature known as ‘Secret Chats’ that enables the individuals to send end-to-end encrypted videos and photos with self-destruct timers to their friends. This new specification is relatively same to Secret Conversations of Facebook Messenger. With the use of this feature, the Viber users are allowed to set a time limit for the complete thread rather than separate messages. It is available for both one-to-one chats and group conversations.
Users are absolutely inhibited to take screenshots on Viber of secret conversations on Android, whereas on iOS receives a notification if anyone gets a screenshot of the secret conversations. Apart from this, Viber restricts the secret conversations from being sent to other individuals. The users of Viber are also permitted to set up a PIN for secret chats. The new feature will be launched for iOS and Android users by next week.
Viber encrypts all the messages, photos, group chats, videos, and calls. The application also offers users the choice to remove a message after sending it and also lets the users put some chats out of their screen sight.
The new feature of Viber was launched immediately after the Wikileaks’ CIA documents dump. A while ago, Wikileaks revealed 8,761 documents demonstrating how the Central Intelligence Agency utilizes devices to break into phones, apps, and other devices. Few of the facts in the leaks recommend there are vulnerabilities in Android and iOS.
Wikileaks stated that the CIA can hack into the WhatsApp messages of the users that are supposed to be end-to-end encrypted and also the premier US intelligence agency is hacking into the software of the iOS and Android devices rather that into the applications.
So, are our private chats really secure? What do you think about it?