Amazon Shuts Down Free Wickr Messaging App Amid Security Concerns
Amazon announces the discontinuation of its free encrypted messaging app Wickr Me by the end of 2023 to focus on enterprise and government clients. The shutdown follows reports that criminals exploited the platform to share illegal content.
Amazon announces that it discontinues the free version of its encrypted messaging app, Wickr Me, on December 31, 2023. The company stops accepting new user registrations at the end of 2022 before it completely phases out the consumer-facing application. Wickr originally launched in 2011 and gained popularity among journalists and whistleblowers for providing self-destructing, end-to-end encrypted messages.
The shutdown only affects the free consumer app, leaving Amazon Web Services (AWS) Wickr and Wickr Enterprise fully operational for government, military, and business customers. Amazon states that it wants to concentrate its resources on securing data and communications for these organizational clients. The company also notes that it is developing features to allow enterprise users to communicate securely with individuals outside of their organizations.
This closure follows recent reports that criminals exploit Wickr Me to distribute child sexual abuse material and facilitate illegal drug sales. News outlets reveal that Amazon does little to proactively address these severe illicit activities on the free platform. As a result, the tech giant shifts its entire focus away from the consumer market to distance its secure communications brand from criminal abuse.