Twitter launched encrypted direct messages (DMs) for users to communicate securely.
The microblogging platform CEO Elon Musk warned against its use, saying, “Try it, but don’t trust it yet.”
This comes after Musk announced that Twitter will remove inactive accounts.
The feature is exclusive to Twitter Blue subscribers, available at $11 a month ($8 for desktop) or otherwise affiliated with an organisation “verified” by Twitter for $1,000 a month plus $50 per user.
Once enabled by users, the encrypted feature offers protection against spies and encodes messages so that only the sender and receiver can decipher them. Encrypted messages are limited to text and links; photos, videos and other attachments not supported yet.
Musk earlier called it “The acid test.” He added, “I could not see your DMs even if there was a gun to my head.”
The platform will soon expand the feature to groups. Meanwhile, the microblogging platform does not offer any way to report encrypted messages for harassment or abuse.