- Google’s Messages app now includes code referencing Messaging Layer Security (MLS).
- These MLS flags are an early sign of support for the encrypted group messaging solution.
- Google’s work could encourage the adoption of MLS, much as it did with RCS.
Getting everyone’s favorite messaging services to play nicely with each other is maybe the holy grail of modern communications. But for all the progress that’s been made moving away from the world of colored-bubble bullies, significant challenges remain. Last year, Google announced its support for Messaging Layer Security (MLS), a new standard that promises to keep end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messages secure across apps and platforms, in one-on-one and group chats alike. We’re finally starting to see the fruits of that effort, as references to MLS appear in the Google Messages app.
Developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the big problem MLS attempts to solve is E2EE group messaging. Google has already extended rich-communications services (RCS) to support E2EE for groups, and while it remains to be seen exactly how MLS will be integrated into Messages, we can hope to see it leading to more robust, secure communication across not just platforms, but supporting all your favorite apps.