Founder of Encrypted Chat App ‘Session’ Relocates to Switzerland Citing Hostile Privacy Environment in Australia
The founder of Session, an encrypted messaging app, has relocated to Switzerland after Australian authorities visited the homes of employees, citing Australia’s “hostile” stance toward privacy-focused technologies as the main reason for the move.
Developed in Australia in 2018, Session is an open-source, decentralized messaging app that allows users to communicate anonymously using 66-character account IDs instead of traditional verification methods like emails or phone numbers. The app uses a decentralized onion routing network, similar to Tor, to ensure no single server can track message origins or destinations. The tagline “Send messages, not metadata” encapsulates its focus on privacy.
Originally created by the Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation (OPTF), Session announced in October it would transfer operations to the Session Technology Foundation based in Switzerland. The decision followed months of pressure from Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police (AFP), who had contacted Session employees through chat messages, letters, and phone calls. In one instance, Victoria police visited an employee’s apartment last year to inquire about the app’s encrypted messaging.
Under Australia’s anti-terrorism laws passed in 2018, law enforcement agencies can require developers to assist with investigations, including building capabilities to bypass encryption. Although these powers have rarely been used, the potential for such a demand became a significant concern for Session.
Alex Linton, the director of OPTF, stated that Australia’s legislative and regulatory environment posed a “completely hostile” atmosphere for the development of privacy tools like encrypted messaging apps. He expressed concern that the risk of these special powers being used against them was damaging the app’s credibility as a privacy tool.
A spokesperson for the AFP confirmed that Session had been used by offenders in serious criminal activities but declined to provide further details. Victoria police were also approached for comment.
Linton emphasized that because Session is open-source, any backdoor or encryption compromise would be detectable by users reviewing the code. He also praised Switzerland’s legal environment, which understands and supports the technology used by platforms like Session, contrasting it with Australia’s regulatory challenges.
Linton pointed to upcoming age assurance requirements for social media and a new eSafety Commissioner code for encrypted messaging providers as further signs of a restrictive environment for privacy apps in Australia. He expressed concerns that encrypted apps like Session and Signal, which have wide and legitimate user bases, might be unfairly targeted as tools for criminals.
Greens digital rights spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge criticized Australia’s approach, stating that policies hostile to end-to-end encryption, combined with inadequate privacy laws, jeopardize personal privacy. He condemned the AFP’s interaction with Session employees, questioning whether the police now viewed the protection of privacy as an indication of potential guilt. Shoebridge called for stronger privacy and data laws to support a sovereign tech industry that can deliver safe and secure products for Australians.
The Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s office was approached for comment.