Viber brings encrypted chats to its 700 million users.

Popular messaging app Viber is rolling out end-to-end encryption across all of its apps on Android, iOS, PC and Mac.

The feature, which the company says will roll out “over the coming weeks” will bring encryption to its more than 700 million users. The new update is coming as part of Viber 6.0, and all users who are using Viber 6.0 or higher will be protected by end-to-end encryption.

The news comes just two weeks after WhatsApp turned on end-to-end encryption for its more than 1 billion users.

Viber’s decision is interesting because, as Wired points out, it is not a U.S.-based company. 

Viber is owned by the Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten. As a result, it wouldn’t be beholden to any U.S. laws that may try toban encryption.

In a statement, Viber COO Michael Shmilov said, "we take our users’ security and privacy very seriously, and it’s critical to us that they feel confident and protected when using Viber.” 

"Because of this, we have spent a long time working on this latest update to ensure that our users have the most sophisticated security available and maximum control over their communications. We will continue to make this an ongoing priority as digital communication evolves."

When Viber 6.0 rolls out, the company says it will have a new visual color-coded system to indicate when chats are protected.

This is how the company describes the process:

• Grey Lock: During an end-to-end encrypted conversation and call, users will see a grey padlock icon. Tapping on this icon will display a tooltip letting users know that messages sent by the participants are encrypted.
• Green Lock: Users also have the option of manually authenticating their contacts by selecting that they are "trusted." This means that the selected contact’s authentication key will be monitored for future changes so users can be certain that they’re talking to the right person at all times. Tapping on the green padlock will display a tooltip letting users know that messages sent by the participants are encrypted and your contact is verified.
• Red Lock: If there is a problem with the authentication key of a previously trusted user, the padlock will turn red. The breach may simply mean that a user has changed their primary phone; however, it can also indicate a man-in-the-middle-attack. To solve a possible breach state, the participant needs to be re-trusted. Tapping on the red icon will display a tooltip noting that Viber cannot verify this number.

Viber is also adding a “hidden chat” feature that will hide specific one-to-one or group chats from the main chat screen. The only way users can access these chats is with a four digit PIN. On iOS, users can also unlock hidden chats with Touch ID.

This isn’t really a security feature, per se, but it will make it easier to have conversations that someone who might access your phone cannot easily find.

Viber's decision to bring encryption to its products comes at an important time. The broader discussions about personal security and national security are continuing to take place. And as government's look at attempting to legislate crypto, it's important to recognize just how perilous that sort of plan is. 

After all, even if every U.S. company was banned from having secure messaging, that wouldn't preclude foreign companies from offering users a way to securely communicate.