IN a somewhat delayed but much-needed move, the government has decided to launch a locally-developed secure messaging app, ‘Beep’, for government employees in the coming months. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecom was informed on Tuesday that the app — inspired by the Chinese platform WeChat — is almost ready for launch and is expected to meet its project deadline of June 30, 2026.
Thanks to favourable policies and massive popularity that Information Technology (IT), like in many other countries, has become a way of life in Pakistan. It is instrumental in enhancing efficiency in government and businesses, improving access to education and healthcare and positioning Pakistan as a competitive player in the global digital market for software development and IT services. Presently, majority of Pakistanis including governmental officials are routinely using digital platforms like WhatsApp, which has evolved from a simple instant messaging app to a multifaceted digital space for communication, community building and business, offering messaging, calls, status updates and integrations that function much like a social network. However, in view of almost daily incidents of hacking and data theft, the use of such public platforms, with their data servers abroad, by the government officials was considered a risky affair. The launch of a locally developed and secured communication app had become a necessity with the decision of the government to go for total e-office system so as to maintain the secrecy of the sensitive documents. Messaging app security relies heavily on end-to-end encryption (E2EE), keeping messages private from providers and hackers and with this in view, it is satisfying that the Beep will also have this important feature. Beep’s servers would be based in Pakistan, with stricter security safeguards inspired by WeChat. The new app is expected to strengthen internal coordination and reduce operational risks. As data protection, especially that of personal information and photographs, has become a primary concern all over the globe, it is hoped, with the passage of time a public version of the app with all necessary features and services, will also be developed and introduced to give a sense of satisfaction to general users.
