Focus keyphrase Arattai end-to-end encryption: Zoho’s Arattai app will soon get E2EE using Signal protocol, reinforcing privacy while staying compliant with national laws.

CHENNAI: In a major step towards bolstering user privacy, Zoho Corporation’s messaging app Arattai is set to roll out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) — a feature long demanded by users and seen as crucial to its competition with WhatsApp and Telegram. The update was confirmed by CEO Sridhar Vembu, who announced the change is being accelerated due to public pressure.

Initially scheduled for release in November 2025, the Arattai end-to-end encryption rollout has now entered testing. The platform will implement the audited Signal protocol, one of the most trusted frameworks in secure communication, and will disable cloud storage entirely to ensure messages remain solely on users’ devices — unless manual backup is activated.

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This approach sets Arattai apart from Zoho’s enterprise chat app Cliq, which uses cloud storage for archiving. By removing server-side storage for messages, Arattai reduces not only operational costs but also the risk of unauthorised data access.

Vembu detailed the app’s privacy philosophy on social media, using analogies such as the “secret lover” and “ad violation” cases to describe how Zoho avoids data monetisation and prioritises confidential communication. However, it was his “secret rebel case” analogy that gained traction online. Addressing concerns about whether the encryption could shield illegal activity, Vembu emphasised that while privacy is protected, no encryption can override legal authority in a sovereign nation.

“Secret rebels cannot expect courts to affirm their right to plot against their government,” he wrote, reinforcing Zoho’s stance of compliance with national law while still supporting digital privacy.

The Arattai end-to-end encryption update underscores a larger shift in India’s app ecosystem where data privacy is becoming a top concern. With government regulations tightening and users demanding transparency, apps like Arattai must balance security, legal obligations, and public trust in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.