German army builds a chat app based on Matrix

The German army makes a chat app based on open source software Matrix. The Bundeswehr wants the BwMessenger to become a WhatsApp variant that people within Defense can safely use among themselves.

People within the army should also be able to exchange internal information via the chat app, Heise reports. The Ministry of Defense is investigating the use of Matrix for the chat app. This technology is open source and offers the possibility to build a decentralized chat app.

The chat app is part of a larger initiative to make government users less dependent on technology from major tech companies. Building your own applications based on open source software should give ‘digital sovereignty’. The German government is also building an app based on Wire. The German government wants to lean on the client side of Riot, Synapse and Sydent have to take care of the software on the server side. It is not yet known when the German government will make a choice for certain technology and when the chat app should be in use.