Our story: What is Private.Ki?

Hi. This is Private.Ki. We’re a team of passionate security experts and engineers with decades of experience working on and around the internet. Some of us still remember the satisfying screech of a dial-up modem connecting at 9,600 bits per second, the days when going online tied up your family’s only telephone line. It’s remarkable how far the internet has come since then – yet at the same time, it’s surprising how much remains unchanged in terms of basic security practices.

For the longest time, sending an email was akin to mailing a postcard: the content remained in plain view, available for anyone with access to the path it traveled. You may think, “Surely everyone knew about this?” Indeed, this was hardly a well-kept secret—yet countless people continued to transmit business plans, medical records, and highly personal information over email with no encryption whatsoever. Perhaps it was due to convenience, or maybe a general feeling of “I have nothing to hide” prevailed.

Then came 2013, when Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, blew the whistle on the extent of global surveillance. Suddenly, the fragility of internet security wasn’t just the concern of a few “paranoid” experts. It became front-page news. Individuals, businesses, and governments everywhere had to come to terms with the reality that our communications weren’t just unprotected—they were actively being collected, scrutinized, and stored.

At Private.Ki, we saw that moment as both an alarm bell and a call to action. We had already been working on the concept of a secure email service—one that would operate like a fortress against prying eyes. However, at that time, we lacked the blueprint, the open-source encryption libraries (like what eventually became OpenPGP.js), and the robust infrastructure necessary to fully achieve our vision under intense time pressure.

That initial Private.Ki, launched in 2013, taught us some hard but valuable lessons. Despite our passion and commitment, we learned firsthand that building a truly secure communications platform goes far beyond simply layering encryption onto existing solutions. Every line of code, every system integration, every single user interaction has to be designed with security in mind from the ground up.

While Private.Ki in 2013 didn’t fully achieve its goals then, it didn’t fail in the way most people think of failure. It was more of a “not yet.” We planted the seeds, discovered what didn’t work, and gathered insights on how to do it better next time.

Some time ago, we decided to restart, armed with more knowledge, better technology, and a clearer understanding of the threats we’re up against. Today, we’re again focused on our core mission: to create the most secure communication system the world has ever seen.

  • End-to-End Encryption: We aim to employ state-of-the-art cryptographic methods that ensure only the intended recipients can read messages.
  • User-Friendly Approach: Security doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re putting in the work on the back end so that you don’t have to.
  • Complete Transparency: We believe in openness wherever possible. Proprietary code hidden behind vague statements about “security” only breeds suspicion.
  • Resilience and Scalability: As the internet evolves, new vulnerabilities emerge. Our system is built to adapt and respond to these challenges continuously.

We restarted.

Stay tuned and keep an eye on this space. Together, we can shape a more secure, more private internet—one conversation at a time.


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