Encrypted Messaging On the Way from Pirate Bay Founder

The NSA fuels an entire industry

In the wake of people learning about the National Security Agency's massive surveillance program, it's become clear that phone records and text messages are not entirely private.

The Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde and a couple of app developers have decided to do something about it. They are working on creating a messaging app that is spy-proof, according to GigaOM.

"All communication on today's networks is being monitored by government agencies and private companies. The politicians are not going to stop it, they're actually asking for more," Sunde said in a video about the app. "That's why we decided to build a messaging platform where no one can spy on you, not even us."

Naming it Hemlis, which is Swedish for secret, the iPhone and Android app is based on end-to-end encryption that allows only users and whoever they're messaging to read the conversation. Also, Sunde doesn't plan to use ads on the app or sell user data to advertisers.