Veilid is “an open-source, peer-to-peer, mobile-first networked application framework, with a flagship secure messaging application named VeilidChat.” Application frameworks of this sort are flexible software packages that can be iterated on and changed by infusing new code into them. Developers who want to create new programs with the same privacy protections will be able to build off of Veilid’s open source structures.
Cult members say their protocol is built from the same digital DNA as the Tor browser and the chat app Signal and will be used to create new ways for folks to communicate, share files, and generally surf the web while simultaneously protecting their privacy. The idea is to offer users an escape from the constant data collection and monetization that undergirds most web interactions (also commonly referred to as “surveillance capitalism”).
Veilid is written in Rust (just like Lemmy btw) and the group will talk about it on the next Defcon conference.
With the new AMD speculative execution exploits and stuff being talked at defcon this year as well, it’s looking to be a really good year to participate.