Silent Circle -- Easily Encrypted Communications

Silent Circle is an encryption company that sells easy to use (so they say) text, email, phone, and video encryption applications for cell phones and computers. Using Pretty Good Privacy and other state of the art encryption methodologies -- indeed, it was created by the inventors of some of those technologies -- its primary benefit (they say) is that it makes them easy to use so it allows widespread communications free of snooping. That, if true, would be revolutionary (they say).

Silent Circle asserts that it does not keep the keys so it cannot encrypt the messages its service encrypts and transmits. It also says it makes it products without "backdoors," which are ways in for the company that would ordinarily be hidden to users. Believing that, of course, requires a level of trust (which may be warranted -- I have no idea).

Is widespread use of completely encrytpable communication a "good thing"? I don't know -- I can see good arguments on both sides. I distrust anyone who insists that it is absolutely one way or the other. Via Tim!