BitTorrent Labs Reveal BitTorrent Chat Alpha – Encrypted P2P Messaging Service

If all the recent media coverage of government surveillance and companies handing over bulk data has got you worried then BitTorrent Labs could have something ideal for you. BitTorrent have developed their own chat service called BitTorrent Chat which is currently in alpha stages. The chat service using encrypted peer to peer communications and has no central server where data is stored because files are based on peer to peer transfer. In essence this means all files are sent between the computers of the chat participants and fully encrypted along the way. There is a server that needs to be connected to upon joining the network but this stores no information and simply acts like a BitTorrent Tracker.

BitTorrent chat is currently in a private Alpha phase where you must sign up to get the chance to test the program, you can sign up at the official website here.

BitTorrent chat certainly has the potential to be very popular for those who just want some privacy and security. Maybe the service will even make it into an app form at a later date – we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

Image courtesy of BitTorrent Labs