Psst… don’t tell anyone, but: Android development on Element X has now caught up with iOS and we’ve released an early edition of Element X in the Google Play Store. Since we published our first release of Element X for iOS on the App Store in July, we’ve been swamped with Android users asking how to get involved too; and so now we’re officially making Element X goodness available on both platforms.
In the world of today’s technology, maintaining a competitive advantage requires us to walk a fine line between innovation and reliability. At Element, we recognize the importance of delivering cutting-edge solutions while ensuring a stable user experience. So we are thrilled to announce the introduction of a standardised schedule for releasing Element Server Suite (ESS). Doing this enables us to streamline our development process and enhance your experience with our product.
At Element, our mission is to provide secure communications to all. We believe that everyone deserves the right to private and safe online interactions. And, everyone means everyone. 🧑🤝🧑 In today's digital age, accessibility is a vital aspect of any product or service. When websites, applications or products are not accessible, it limits certain users’ ability to fully participate.
I can’t believe it but it’s been a year since we last updated you about the progress of Element Call, our Matrix-based VoIP product. We haven’t been resting on our laurels though, a huge amount of work has been going on over the last twelve months, and today we bring an absolutely massive new update in Beta 3 of Element Call.
OMG it’s fast! Element X isn’t just the fastest Matrix client ever - it’s up to 6000x faster than any other Matrix client. Faster than a cheetah, a peregrine falcon, or a speeding bullet! Faster than light! Faster than light in a vacuum!! Seriously, Element X is a transformation and we’re outrageously proud of it. Not only is it faster, but it’s also got a vastly improved interface which delivers a far better user experience.
Today marks the first day of the Report Stage of the Online Safety Bill. As this Bill progresses through the Houses of Parliament, we hope to (once again) raise the alarm around the risks to encryption posed by this Bill. As ever, our concern is around chapter 5 of the Bill, particularly clause 111 (formerly clause 110, before changes in the House of Lords). This is a key section as it defines the approach to notices to deal with terrorism and CSEA content.
Once again we see bureaucrats with a poor understanding of how modern technology works deny ordinary people their right to privacy, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 12). This time it’s India, where Element is one of 14 messaging apps blocked by the Central Indian Government which - we believe from media reports - relates to Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
As a UK-headquartered company, we’re perhaps the most concerned of all the companies signing the open letter that urges the UK government to radically rethink the Online Safety Bill. As currently drafted the Bill forces messaging services to break their end-to-end encryption by implementing third party scanning of decrypted content, completely undermining the security that end-to-end encryption offers.
Out of Band communications is for classified discussion, business continuity and incident response. It should be used within the most security-conscious parts of the organization; from senior executive discussion to cybersecurity teams. The phrase refers to communicating outside of the usual communication system, such as a reserved channel or network.
Most people know Element as a secure collaboration and messaging app. They know what it looks like on their phone or laptop, appreciate that it’s end-to-end encrypted, and make increasing use of features like threads, polls and location-sharing. In short, they are familiar with the front-end; the client, the app or whatever else you want to call it.
