Twitter is planning to launch encrypted direct messages to boost communication features on the social media platform.
Twitter chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk said that encrypted direct messages, or DMs, could be available as early as May 10 and will eventually include voice and video chat features.
Direct messages are non-public messages that Twitter users send to one another in private. Encrypting the messages will make them even more private.
Musk added that Twitter users can now reply to any message in a DM thread, not just the most recent one, as well as use any emoji to react to a message.
Encryption means that only the sender and receiver can view messages. In theory, Twitter would not be able to see or intercept direct messages between users.
“The acid test is that I could not see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head,” Musk tweeted regarding the changes being rolled out.
Competing social media platforms, including Meta’s WhatsApp, have had encrypted messages for several years now.
Encrypted messaging has grown in popularity as people focus more on internet privacy.
Musk stressed that voice and video calls will soon be coming to Twitter so users can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them a phone number.
New Twitter features announced by Musk do not always appear on time.
In February of this year, Musk promised that Twitter would introduce a new feature to share advertising revenue with creators. So far, that feature hasn’t materialized.
Twitter is privately held, and its stock does not trade on a public exchange.
