Delta Chat received a request from Roskomnadzor for access to user data

Developers of the Delta Chat project сообщили on receipt from Roskomnadzor of a request to provide access to user data and keys that can be used to decrypt messages, as well as on registration in the registry information dissemination organizers. Project rejected request, motivating his decision by the fact that Delta Chat is only a specialized mail client, whose users use mail servers of providers or public mail services to send messages.

Delta Chat itself does not contain the hardware through which user data is transmitted and does not provide messaging services, and Delta Chat developers do not have access to user data at all. Providers through which messages are sent will also not be able to access the data, since messages are encrypted on the sender's side using end-to-end encryption and the decryption key is known only to the participants in the correspondence.

Recall that Delta Cat does not use its own servers and can work through almost any mail server that supports SMTP and IMAP (the technique is used to quickly determine the arrival of new messages Push IMAP). Encryption is supported using OpenPGP and the standard autocrypt for simple automatic configuration and key exchange without the use of key servers (the key is automatically transmitted in the first message sent). End-to-End Encryption Implementation Based on Code rPGP, which passed an independent security audit this year. Traffic is encrypted using TLS in the implementation of standard system libraries.

Delta Chat is completely controlled by the user and is not tied to centralized services. It does not require registration in new services to work - you can use an existing email as an identifier. If the correspondent does not use Delta Chat, he can read the message as a regular letter. The fight against spam is carried out by screening messages from unknown users (by default, only messages from users from the address book and those to whom messages were sent before, as well as replies to own messages, are displayed). It is possible to display attachments and attached images and videos.

It supports the creation of group chats in which several participants can communicate. At the same time, it is possible to bind a verified list of participants to the group, which does not allow unauthorized persons to read messages (members are verified using a cryptographic signature, and messages are encrypted using end-to-end encryption). Connection to verified groups is carried out by sending an invitation with a QR code. Verified chats are still experimental, but their support is planned to be stabilized in 2020 after the implementation security audit is completed.

The core of the messenger is developed separately in the form of a library and can be used to write new clients and bots. The current version of the core library is written in Rust (old version was written in C language). There are bindings for Python, Node.js and Java. IN development unofficial bindings for Go. Exist DeltaChat for libpurple, which can use both the new Rust core and the old C core. Application code spreads licensed under the GPLv3, and the core library is available under the MPL 2.0 (Mozilla Public License).

Source: opennet.ru