May 25, 2010
Moxie Marlinspike releases TextSecure
Whisper Systems launched TextSecure public beta on May 25, 2010 — Moxie Marlinspike's end-to-end encrypted SMS app for AndroidGoogle's open mobile operating system — the dominant platform for smartphones worldwide..
What it was for
TextSecure evolved into the Signal Protocol and Signal messenger — setting the standard for forward secrecy and encrypted messaging that WhatsApp and others later adopted. Marlinspike's open protocols influenced how developers think about E2E chat.
People
- Moxie Marlinspike — creator
Why it's here
TextSecure started the modern era of consumer end-to-end encrypted messaging.
Why it mattered
It proved usable E2E encryption could ship on mainstream mobile platforms.
What it solved
SMS and early chat apps transmitted messages in plaintext readable by carriers and attackers.
Media
ImageMoxie MarlinspikeChristopher Michel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons