Elon Musk wants Twitter DMs to be end-to-end encrypted like Signal

Elon Musk is a happy camper after buying Twitter earlier this week. The Tesla CEO now owns 100 percent of the social media platform and is already tweeting about the various changes he would like to see on Twitter. We already know that an edit button is coming to Twitter at some point. Now, Elon Musk wants Twitter DMs to have end-to-end encryption so that no one can “spy or hack your messages.”

According to Musk, Twitter DMs should be end-to-end encrypted much like Signal. As of now, direct messages on Twitter are not end-to-end encrypted, which makes them far less secure compared to messages sent on apps like Signal or even WhatsApp.

Twitter DMs should have end to end encryption like Signal, so no one can spy on or hack your messages
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 28, 2022

End-to-end encryption means the platform will not be able to read messages as they are encrypted on the user’s device. Essentially, only the sender and receiver can see the contents of a message. Offering end-to-end encryption has become a norm in recent years, and it’s about time Twitter gets the feature as well.

Elon Musk’s tweet about Twitter DMs needing end-to-end encryption also seems to be aimed at those who are concerned about the privacy of Twitter’s direct messages ever since the buyout. With Musk becoming the sole owner of Twitter and the company going private, users are worried that their DMs are no longer safe.

Elon Musk has stated that he believes Twitter should be a space for “free speech.” The Tesla CEO is also against censorship that “goes beyond the law.” However, these statements make it unclear what kind of changes we can expect to see in the coming months with Musk in the driver’s seat.