November 28, 2013, 11:24 PM Encrypted social network vies for disgruntled WhatsApp, Facebook users Easy-to-use encryption is the aim of Syme, a service built by three students in Montreal
By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service With the look of Google Plus and Facebook-like elements, a new social network named "Syme" feels as cozy as a well-worn shoe. But beneath the familiar veneer, it's quite different. Syme encrypts all content, such as status updates, photos and files, so that only people invited to a group can view it. Syme, which hosts the content on its Canada-based servers, says it can't read it. "The overarching goal of Syme is to make encryption accessible and easy to use for people who aren't geeks or aren't hackers or who aren't cryptography experts," said co-founder Jonathan Hershon. Hershon is part of a bright trio who have self-funded Syme's development while working out of their homes and studying at McGill University in Montreal. Hershon is studying psychology, Louis-Antoine Mullie is a medical student with a strong technology background, and Christophe Marois, who works on the user interface, studies music. "We have very low operating costs," Hershon said. It may be the just the right time for Syme, which is now open to all after an invite-only beta trial. The technology industry, shaken by former NSA contractor Edward J. Snowden's revelations of large-scale surveillance efforts by the U.S. and U.K., is looking for better ways to shield user data from prying eyes. Law enforcement agencies around the world are also increasingly filing requests for data to companies such as Facebook and Twitter, who are compelled by law to turn over data, sometimes without informing users. Appropriate for a privacy-centered service, "Syme" is named after a character in "1984," George Orwell's chilling novel describing total state control. In the book, Syme was "vaporized" for being a free-thinking individual. [...] Send news tips and comments to [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter: @jeremy_kirk ________________________________ http://www.itworld.com/unified-communications/384673/encrypted-social-network-vies-disgruntled-whatsapp-facebook-users © 1994-2013 ITworld. All rights reserved. -- Liberationtech is public & archives are searchable on Google. Violations of list guidelines will get you moderated: https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech. Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password by emailing moderator at [email protected].
