Human rights defenders, journalists, activists, political dissidents, and members of marginalized communities have a strong need for secure and private messaging when living in oppressive regimes. However, there is currently a void in the secure messenger field that properly caters to at-risk users.

Phoenix R&D’s mission is to bridge this gap in the secure messenger field by developing a new technological foundation for secure and private messaging that combines functional, privacy, and security features in a way that addresses a variety of threat models. They are focused on developing secure messaging foundations that feature always-on end-to-end encryption, minimization of server-side metadata storage, freedom for users and organizations to choose where their messenger infrastructure is hosted and operated, and additional security and safety standards designed for the end-user.

OTF recently supported Phoenix R&D to develop a technology stack around the new Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol (the latest evolution in secure messaging) that not only complements MLS but also minimizes the need for metadata on the infrastructure side.

The latest round of support will help other developers integrate this technology stack into their applications, making state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption technology more accessible. It is also supporting the development of a new messaging service built on top of the technology stack—allowing at-risk users to either use the messenger hosted by Phoenix R&D, themselves, or a tech collective they trust.