{"id":24435,"date":"2025-06-02T14:15:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/elon-musks-xchat-a-dm-replacement-faces-criticism\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T14:15:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:15:30","slug":"elon-musks-xchat-a-dm-replacement-faces-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/elon-musks-xchat-a-dm-replacement-faces-criticism\/","title":{"rendered":"Elon Musk\u2019s XChat, a DM replacement, faces criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On June 1, Elon Musk announced the launch of the new XChat messenger \u201cwith encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file. Also, audio\/video calling. <\/p>\n<p>This is built on Rust with (Bitcoin style) encryption, whole new architecture.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1929238157872312773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>A key feature of the app is that it is built in the Rust programming language. It also touts the use of \u201cBitcoin-style\u201d encryption.<\/p>\n<p>According to Musk, users will be able to make audio and video calls without a phone number \u201con all platforms\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/05\/30\/xs-new-dm-feature-xchat-is-rolling-out-in-beta\/\">TechCrunch<\/a>, some users with the paid X Prime subscription have already received access to XChat.<\/p>\n<p>The announcement followed a message from X\u2019s engineering account saying it was pausing the encrypted direct-messages (DM) feature.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Starting today we will be pausing the encrypted DMs feature while we work on making some improvements. You will still be able to access your encrypted DMs, but won&#8217;t be able to send new ones.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Engineering (@XEng) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/XEng\/status\/1927826425173696988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 28, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The team said users will retain access to existing encrypted DMs, but they will not be able to send new ones.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leaks that proved accurate<\/h2>\n<p>On April 16, a user going by the handle P4mui said that DMs would be replaced by XChat, which would offer expanded functionality and stronger security.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Yes DMs will be gone soon\u2026 but it\u2019s in favor of XChat, the new generation of DMs on X\/Twitter<\/p>\n<p>So you will still be able to message people but:<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 fully encrypted end to end<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 you\u2019ll be able to send files <\/p>\n<p>\u2014 you can \u00ab delete a message for all \u00bb<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 you can UNREAD a message<\/p>\n<p>Ect\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hMd9Es4Nft\">https:\/\/t.co\/hMd9Es4Nft<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xavkK1zHxE\">pic.twitter.com\/xavkK1zHxE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 P4mui  (@P4mui) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/P4mui\/status\/1912522524757246193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The insider also shared key features of the new platform:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>conversation contents will be protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning the information will be available only to the sender and the recipient;<\/li>\n<li>users will be able to exchange files directly in chats;<\/li>\n<li>it will be possible to delete a sent message not only on your side but also for the other party;<\/li>\n<li>you can mark a message as unread to return to it later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>P4mui noted that this is not an exhaustive list of changes and XChat may include other improvements.<\/p>\n<p>On April 18, developer Nima Owji also posted about forthcoming changes to messaging. He noted that the messenger \u201cwill support more advanced group chats and vanishing messages\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BREAKING: X CHAT will support more advanced group chats and VANISHING MODE! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zgcS6qZy6y\">pic.twitter.com\/zgcS6qZy6y<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nima Owji (@nima_owji) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nima_owji\/status\/1913162422547894649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On May 30, the researcher told <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/05\/30\/xs-new-dm-feature-xchat-is-rolling-out-in-beta\/\">TechCrunch<\/a> that the new messaging system appeared ready for a full launch.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Criticism of XChat<\/h2>\n<p>The announcement drew scepticism in the crypto community, which questioned what exactly \u201cBitcoin-style encryption\u201d means. Ian Miers, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Maryland, noted that the first cryptocurrency \u201cprimarily uses digital signatures\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Seriously, what is Bitcoin style encryption? Bitcoin primarily uses signatures, not encryption.<br \/>This is like saying, we decided to run our rocket on water, since NASA uses Hydrogen and Oxygen. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dWZhV6H4Tk\">https:\/\/t.co\/dWZhV6H4Tk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ian Miers (@secparam) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/secparam\/status\/1929302662320635962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cThis is like saying, we decided to run our rocket on water, since NASA uses Hydrogen and Oxygen,\u201d the expert said.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Miers added that \u201cBitcoin-style\u201d and Rust are not descriptions of an encryption scheme and do not serve as reliable indicators of a messenger\u2019s security. Moreover, if encrypted direct messages are available only in the app, they are unlikely to be implemented purely in Rust.<\/p>\n<p>JAN3 CEO Samson Mow also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Excellion\/status\/1929262490023567654\">said<\/a> that \u201cBitcoin is not encrypted,\u201d while a user going by the handle Pledditor <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Pledditor\/status\/1929253304434921696\">pointed<\/a> to the use of elliptic-curve cryptography in the structure of the digital gold.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A naming problem for Musk?<\/h2>\n<p>It turns out the name XChat was already used for an <span data-descr=\"a chat system that can be used for private communication between two people\" class=\"old_tooltip\">IRC<\/span> client developed by Peter Zelezny from 1998 to 2010.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"255\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-133639-1024x255.png\" alt=\"Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-133639\" class=\"wp-image-259774\" srcset=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-133639-1024x255.png 1024w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-133639-300x75.png 300w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-133639-768x192.png 768w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-133639-1536x383.png 1536w, https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-133639.png 1592w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Data: <a href=\"http:\/\/xchat.org\/\">XChat<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/probonopd\/XChat\">GitHub<\/a>, the X-Chat (or xchat) program was released under the GPL v2 licence. Although active development ceased many years ago, the question of rights to the name may remain open.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-135702.webp\" alt=\"Snimok-ekrana-2025-06-02-135702\" class=\"wp-image-259775\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Data: GitHub.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If the XChat trademark rights are still valid and belong to the original developers or related parties, Musk\u2019s team may have to enter talks to buy those rights.<\/p>\n<p>Otherwise, launching a new product under an existing brand could entail legal complications and potential lawsuits, which may delay or even derail plans to integrate the messenger into the X ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>In March, a court <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/court-rejects-musks-bid-to-block-openais-commercialization\">rejected<\/a> Musk\u2019s request to block the \u201ccommercialization\u201d of OpenAI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On June 1, Elon Musk announced the launch of the new XChat messenger \u201cwith encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file\u201d. All new XChat is rolling out with encryption, vanishing messages and the ability to send any kind of file. Also, audio\/video calling. This is built on Rust with (Bitcoin [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"","news_style_id":"","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1217,1150,40],"class_list":["post-24435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-elon-musk","tag-news-plus","tag-twitter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"171","promo_type":"","layout_type":"","short_excerpt":"","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24435\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}