Secure messaging platform Wickr is shutting down its user-facing app. IN spotted by announced that they will stop accepting new Wickr Me signups until the end of the year before finally retiring the service entirely on December 31, 2023. The shutdown will not affect the AWS and Enterprise versions of Wickr.
“After careful consideration, we will concentrate Wickr’s focus on protecting the data and communications of our business and public sector customers with AWS Wickr and Wickr Enterprise and have decided to discontinue our consumer product, Wickr Me,” the company said, adding that it is working on developing the ability for Wickr customers to communicate securely with individuals outside their organization.
The announcement comes after reports that Amazon has done little to combat the problem of people using Wickr Me to exchange child sexual abuse material. In June, citing court documents and information from law enforcement and activists, said the platform had become a “destination” for traffickers of this type of content.
Before the shutdown next year, Wickr said it will share information with users about how to keep their data safe. Fortunately, alternatives aren’t hard to find, with apps like Signal providing robust secure messaging.
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