Highlighting Information Access Problems, Switzerland Bans Its Military From Using WhatsApp Instant Messaging Services To Telegram

Swiss military illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/TheBernFiles.)

JAKARTA - The Swiss military has told its ranks to stop using foreign instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram for official communications.

Instead, they opted for the Swiss alternative, partly because of concerns about laws in Washington that govern how US authorities can access information held by technology companies.

Army leaders, in a letter to the commander-in-chief last month, called for the use of the Swiss instant messaging service Threema, as quoted by the Associated Press Jan. 6.

And, a promotion for the service was posted on December 29 on the Swiss military account page on Facebook, which, like WhatsApp, is owned by the US company now known as Meta.

Officials cited an increasing need for secure communications, as the Swiss army deploys to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Alpine Country.

A letter sent to the army chief last month said Threema "should be used for all service communications," adding "no other messaging service will be authorized."

Application illustration. (Unsplash/Thom Bradley)

Separately, Army spokeswoman Delphine Schwab-Allemand, in an e-mail on Wednesday confirming reports of the matter in Swiss media, appeared to soften the position of the army, saying there was a 'recommendation' of troops using Threema.

This rule goes into effect on January 1. He added that soldiers cannot and do not want to tell troops to use certain apps on their personal devices.

Because Threema is a Swiss-based company, the information it holds is not subject to the US Cloud Act, he said, This refers to a law passed in the 2018 spending bill, which regulates how US authorities can obtain electronic communications held by technology companies. .

Meanwhile, several prominent privacy groups are against it. The Swiss military says the Threema app complies with regulations in Europe on data protection.

To note, unlike many other messaging services, Threema does not require users to provide a phone number or email address. Interestingly, the military said it would provide an annual fee of 4 francs, or about 4.40 US dollars, for its members using the Swiss app.