Wickr Me, an Amazon-owned encrypted chat platform, stopped accepting new customers after December 31 and can shut down utterly on December 31 this yr, in response to an organization announcement.
The choice, first introduced in November, follows extra controversy surrounding the ultra-secure chat app, which allowed customers to register with no cellphone quantity or different probably figuring out data, making it a favourite of safety teams. together with hackers, drug sellers and journalists.
In June, an NBC Information investigation revealed that Wickr Me has grow to be a go-to product for many individuals who market baby sexual abuse materials. The investigation recognized 72 court docket instances over the previous 5 years wherein the defendant allegedly used Wickr (as it’s generally identified) to alternate baby sexual abuse materials. Legislation enforcement officers and a consultant of the Nationwide Middle for Lacking and Exploited Youngsters informed NBC Information on the time that Wickr was not doing sufficient to detect or report the buying and selling of such materials on its platform.
In an announcement supplied to NBC Information in June, an Amazon Internet Providers spokesperson mentioned: “Amazon is dedicated to stopping baby sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in each section of our enterprise, together with Wickr, which maintains the Phrases of strict utilization guidelines that clearly prohibit illegality. exercise. We act shortly on stories of unlawful habits, reply instantly to regulation enforcement requests and take applicable motion. Anybody discovered to be in violation of our phrases is topic to account termination.”
“Wickr is absolutely responsive and cooperating with regulation enforcement on these important issues,” the spokesperson mentioned.
In its November assertion, the corporate defined that it was shutting down Wickr Me to commit extra assets and deal with its business-to-business merchandise, AWS Wickr and Wickr Enterprise. The put up didn’t point out the dealings it has with authorities companies, together with the Division of Protection and the Division of Homeland Safety.
When NBC Information tried to create a brand new check account on the app on Jan. 1, it acquired a pop-up that mentioned, “Wickr Me is not going to be accepting new customers beginning Dec. 31, 2022. Wickr Me will probably be unavailable after 31-Dec. -2023.”
Wickr was based in 2012, making use of high-level encryption to a client messaging product. By 2015, the corporate had raised $39 million in funding. That very same yr, quite a few retailers reported that the Islamic State terrorist group was utilizing the app to recruit new members. In 2016, one of many first profitable prosecutions of an individual promoting baby pornography on the app was reported by the Deseret Morning Information.
In June 2021, Wickr was acquired by Amazon Internet Providers. For the reason that acquisition, the corporate has confronted questions on its authorities contracts with companies corresponding to Customs and Border Safety and drawn consideration for its function in data scandals wherein the app was used to mechanically destroy authorities communications.