Swiss army backs home-grown instant-messaging service amid privacy concerns

A file photo of the Swiss Army honour guard. Army leaders, in a letter to top commanders last month, called for use of the Swiss instant messaging service Threema, and a promotion for the service was posted Dec 29 on the Swiss army’s page on Facebook. — AP

GENEVA: The Swiss army has told its ranks to stop using foreign instant-messaging services like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram for official communications. Instead, it’s opting for a Swiss alternative – in part over concerns about legislation in Washington that governs how US authorities can access information held by tech companies.

Army leaders, in a letter to top commanders last month, called for use of the Swiss instant messaging service Threema, and a promotion for the service was posted Dec 29 on the Swiss army’s page on Facebook, which, like WhatsApp, is owned by the US company now known as Meta.