Microsoft has announced that Skype will offer end-to-end encryption for audio calls, text, and multimedia messages through a feature called Private Conversations.
Skype will employ open-source Signal Protocol to implement the encryption, which is set up so that only the devices sending and receiving communications in a conversation can hear or view them.
Joshua Lund, a Signal developer said: “Skype is one of the most popular applications in the world, and we’re excited that Private Conversations in Skype will allow more users to take advantage of Signal Protocol’s strong encryption properties for secure communication.”
The end-to-end encrypted protocol is already being used by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Allo, and Signal.
With Microsoft and Signal finally working together, a more secure communications standard is welcomed. The goal is to use end-to-end encryption for all chat and audio messages as well as file transfers taking place through the Skype protocol. The only people who will be able to read the content of these files and messages are the sender and the recipient. This change will put a lot of people’s minds at ease regarding Microsoft potentially snooping on their Skype conversations.
You can give it a try by selecting “New Private Conversation” from the compose menu or from the recipient’s profile. After the recipient accepts your invite, all calls and messages in that conversation will be encrypted end-to-end until you choose to end it. You can only participate in a private conversation from a single device at a time. You can switch the conversation to any of your devices, but the messages you send and receive will be tied to the device you’re using at the time.”
