Silent Circle, a company specializing in encrypted communications, released a messaging application for Android devices on Wednesday that encrypts and securely erases messages and files.
The application, called Silent Text, lets users specify a time period for which the receiver can view a message before it is erased. It also keep the keys used to encrypt and decrypt content on the user's device, which protects the company from law enforcement requests for the keys.
Silent Circle, whose co-founder is encryption expert Phil Zimmerman, abandoned its privacy-focused email service in early August following leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden detailing the U.S. government's vast electronic surveillance efforts.
The documents passed by Snowden to The Guardian and The Washington Post newspapers describe a host of programs designed to intercept email and phone metadata in a broad effort aimed at tracking national security threats. The leak also prompted a vigorous privacy debate and interest in how to better shield electronic communications from spying.
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