Encrypted Messaging App Used by White House Sued For Not Being Fully Secured

Confide app or also known as a confidential messenger app used by White House staff is being sued for not being as secure as they say it is. A man from Michigan who sued the app said their security doesn’t work at all in the desktop version. Supposedly, the app will make message disappear and prevent the text from being photographed or screenshot.

According to Ars Technica, any attempt to screenshot or photograph a message sent via Confide will just get a gray box. At the same time, it will also send a notification to the sender that the recipient attempted to take a screenshot of the message. This works for both Android and iOS user but apparently, it's not as effective when using the desktop version.

Although the app claims their patent-pending reading experience assures the user that only a small portion of the message can be photographed according to 9 to 5 Mac. In addition, the sender’s name will not even be visible. However, a man proves the protection doesn’t work on PC as anyone can take a photo of the complete conversation instead of line by line.

The lawsuit was filed last Thursday in New York city federal court. And according to plaintiff Jeremy Auman, "By failing to offer the protections it advertised, Confide not only fails to maintain the confidentiality of messages sent or received by desktop App users, but its entire user base," He also pointed out that if the sender is not aware that the recipient is using a desktop version, the app fails to provide the confidentiality they promise to their subscribers.

Ars Technica reached out to Confide for any comments and the company’s co-founder, Jon Brod, said they have already received the complaint and was not surprised that the accusations were “set forth in the complaint are unfounded and without merit”