Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu Asks Users: Should Arattai Go All-In on Default End-to-End Encryption?
Zoho plans to add end-to-end encryption (e2ee) to Arattai, its messaging software. Sridhar Vembu, the founder of Zoho, asked users for input on end-to-end encryption deployment choices and gave a preview of the new functionality before it was officially released.
Ankush Pandey
Finally, Zoho's well-known messaging software, Arattai, will have end-to-end encryption. Sridhar Vembu, the company's creator, asked for user input on how the planned privacy feature should be implemented in a recent post on X.
Along with a sneak peek at the app's new look, he presented two potential possibilities for the release of end-to-end encryption (e2ee). Additionally, he described how Zoho intends to implement encryption for private conversations first, followed by group chat encryption.
Vembu included screenshots of the feature's design in his post. He said that users would soon be able to activate encrypted mode for their one-on-one discussions in Arattai using a special "e2ee" page. Zoho is presently considering two options for the launch, though.
In the first, users have the option to toggle e2ee on for certain talks or set it as the default for all personal chats. If even one of the two users had encryption enabled, the program would activate it immediately. According to Vembu, the second strategy entails making e2ee the system-wide default for all one-to-one conversations, which would automatically encrypt every private Arattai communication from beginning to end.
"Some people do like the option of cloud-based chat for some of their chats (device storage limits don't matter), so we have been thinking of option 1 but we could easily adopt option 2 (option 2 is cheaper for us!)," Vembu wrote in his post, asking for input on the best course of action before completing the rollout.
Vembu has confirmed that end-to-end encryption will launch very soon with this preview. When the app is released, it will be comparable to privacy-conscious services like Signal and WhatsApp, which already provide end-to-end encryption by default. This implies that no other party, not even the firm, has access to the encryption keys, so only the sender and recipient can see the messages.
Arattai was first introduced by Zoho during the epidemic as an internal substitute for popular chat programs. Since then, the program has developed into a complete messaging platform with file sharing, group conversations, and audio and video conferencing.
In September, the app gained popularity in India after Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged people to use domestic apps like Arattai. Since then, it has been marketed as a safe messaging service designed in India for small enterprises, families, and people.
Although end-to-end encryption has long been requested, users are praising the software for its straightforward user interface and privacy-focused methodology.
Following the demand Zoho’s leadership had intimated that the functionality was in the works, noting that that data protection and localisation are essential pillars of Zoho’s long-term ambition for Arattai.
Zoho is reportedly developing a number of additional features for the app in addition to encryption, such as AI-powered tools backed by its proprietary Zia large language model (LLM).
