Foreign government requested data for 2 journalist using our app, what to do ?
by•
Hello everyone. A foreign government requested that we provide them with all metadata and data for 2 journalist using our App "Vant Chat"
There is a problem. Vant works without login or registration and has 0 servers 0 metadata.
We replied to them "Data does not exists"
They followed up sending to mobile phones numbers associated with those 2 individuals.
Phone numbers means 💩. They think they are talking with Signal😂.
Vant Chat doesn't need a phone number to work, it is simple as download and start chatting.
We replied again. "Vant simply doesn't have the architecture to track or log users, everyone is anonymous."
They seem pissed.
What to do if they persist ???
38 views
Replies
I’d keep every response very formal and route everything through legal counsel, even if the answer is simply “we don’t have that data.” The strongest position is probably documenting your architecture clearly: no accounts, no phone numbers, no servers, no logs, no metadata to produce. If they persist, I’d avoid informal back-and-forth and only respond through the proper legal channel.
@alpertayfurr Faire point. Our emails address support@vant.chat is connected directly with our lawyers. Our lawyers sent replies. They are increasing the pressure. We already documented on website, how Vant Chat works with triple encryptions and how it made servers unnecessary. Looks like, they either don't care or trying to pressure for back-doors or maintaining servers in their location.
That is impossible because Vant was designed from begging (no servers architecture ) besides unbreakable privacy, this saves us millions of dollars every year. Signal alone spends $50M a year on maintaining servers and third parties applications. https://www.wired.com/story/signal-operating-costs/
Also I forgot to mentions, that Signal was originally founded with money from the US government-funded Open Technology Fund. Honeypot trap?
Our costs are $0 per year, actually only salaries for 2 developers (one unpaid- me😂)
Anyway time will tell how this will end. For now they seem very angry..