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28.
September
2016.
VIPole reaffirms commitment to protect user privacy

[image]PRESS RELEASE

 

 

 

 VIP2189-User-Privacy-EN

 

For Immediate Release -Wednesday, 28 September 2016

 VIPole reaffirms commitment to protect user privacy

VIPole Secure Messenger is making a stand against the growing trend among messaging apps which is forcing users to trade-off privacy against functionality and convenience. The firm today reaffirms its commitment that user data and metadata from VIPole Secure Messenger will never be exploited to generate revenue.

Recent announcements from WhatsApp and Google Allo have highlighted a growing industry trend amongst messaging apps towards the exploitation of user metadata for marketing purposes. WhatsApp recently announced a significant change in its user conditions that will enable it to share user data such as mobile phone numbers with parent company Facebook. The exact details of what data will be shared and how it will be used remains unclear. But while WhatsApp has assured users that individual chats will remain end-to-end encrypted, its stated intent of improving the targeting of advertising clearly indicates some form of user profiling is taking place.

Google announced that its long-awaited Allo messaging app will not be end-to-end encrypted by default, and that it had revised its earlier statement that storage of user data on Google's servers would be "transient". Allo users will now have to delete content manually if they wish to avoid it being crawled by Google algorithms. Allo includes end-to-end encrypted messaging and automatic message expiry but users will have to opt-in to this service, and Google points out that doing so will disable the AI features of the app, which is one of its main attractions.

Paul Stevens of VIPole commented "The old adage that if you are not paying for a product, you are the product, seems once again to have been proved true. While the exact details of what Facebook, WhatsApp and Google Allo are planning are still unknown, it certainly seems at present that the personal privacy of users is once again under threat from marketers."

Although a limited feature free trial version is available, the full VIPole Secure Messenger is a subscription-based end-to-end encrypted communications platform, designed to provide secure communications for teams and enterprises, as well as individuals. VIPole does not have access to user's messages, files, audio or video conversations, nor does it have the facility to store any personally identifiable information about its users. For even greater security, the corporate server edition of VIPole Secure Messenger allows organisations to run completely standalone encrypted communications systems.

Stevens comments: "As an independent company, our focus will always be on producing the best quality products for our customers. We don't derive any income from data mining or from advertising revenues, and we have no ability to do so. As we've seen with the recent rush of new VIPole registrations, there are a lot of people for whom privacy is non-negotiable. We look forward to welcoming many more users to the advertising-free and reliably secure world of VIPole Secure Messenger."

 

Notes for editors

VIPole is an international company, with its headquarters in the UK, offering state-of-the-art, high-level encryption solutions for enterprises dealing with commercially or personally sensitive information, and individuals wishing to protect themselves from hackers, identity thieves and malware. A key feature of the system is the unique software design that ensures user data remains encrypted at every stage. Even if hackers or unauthorised personnel gain access to the device or server, user data is impossible to decrypt.

 Launched in 2013, VIPole Secure Messenger now provides encrypted file storage, secure video and audio communications, group chats and collaboration tools to over 700,000 users worldwide, all of whom are protected by the highest level AES-256 and RSA-3072 encryption. VIPole offers a robust solution for financial institutions, medical practices, educational establishments and government offices handling sensitive personal data. VIPole is available as a cloud service, or an on-premise solution. VIPole also offers both free and paid versions of its products for personal use on PC, Mac OS X, Linux, Android and iOS. Full details are available at www.vipole.com
 
VIPole International is exhibiting at IP Expo Europe at London's ExCel on October 5th and 6th, stand CC12. Media enquiries are welcome and senior representatives from the company are available for interview. Please contact Adrian Jones at adrian.jones@ei.do to arrange a diary opportunity at the show. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Catherine Long

PR Manager

VIPole International LP

Tel:+44 (0) 1157 070057

Email: vipole@ei.do

 

 

 

Adrian Jones

Account Director

Eido PR

Tel:+44(0)207 788 7905

Email:vipole@ei.do