Nothing, the technology company behind the new messaging app Nothing Chats, has announced that it has been removed from the Google Play Store in order to fix several bugs related to Sunbird technology. The app was launched just a day ago and was supposed to be available to users on Phone (2) by the 17th of this month.
However, only a day after its release, Nothing shared that the beta version of the messaging app has been removed from the Play Store in order to work with Sunbird to “fix several bugs”. The launch has been delayed “until further notice,” as detailed by the manufacturer in a post in which they also asked for forgiveness for the delay and assured that they would continue working to do “the right thing for users.”
The architecture of Sunbird’s system uses a method to send messages to other users without storing them at any point during their journey, meaning messages are only stored on the device. The chat messages are also end-to-end encrypted, making it impossible for Sunbird or Nothing to access the content sent through Nothing Chats. However, some users and cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about privacy and security, claiming that Sunbird’s technology does not provide end-to-end encryption.
For example, developer Dylan Roussel has criticized Sunbird, stating that they have access to all messages sent and received through the app and that all documents sent are “public”. This is because Sunbird decrypts messages sent by users and sends them over an unsecured connection to a cloud server before storing them in an unencrypted format. Roussel has even warned that if a cybercriminal manages to register and access the database, they could also have access to all messages and files sent by users.
In conclusion, nothing has announced that its new messaging app Nothing Chats has been removed from Google Play Store due to several bugs related to Sunbird technology. Security and privacy concerns have been raised as some users and experts have warned about lack of encryption in messages sent through Nothing Chats. These issues have caused a delay of launch “until further notice” while manufacturers work on addressing security and privacy concerns.