Discord has unveiled the new Dave encryption protocol, which aims to enhance the security of audio and video calls on the platform. With this new protocol, users can communicate on Discord with complete data encryption, ensuring that third parties, including the platform itself, cannot access the content of their calls.
The end-to-end encryption (E2EE) will now be implemented on voice and video calls in personal messages, group chats, voice channels, and Go Live broadcasts. Call participants will be able to verify encryption and identify other participants in real time, adding an extra layer of security.
Discord collaborated with independent security firm Trail of Bits to develop and test the protocol, which conducted an audit of the system code and design. The company has stressed the importance of transparency in the process, providing open access to libraries and technical documents related to the Dave protocol.
The main objective of the Dave protocol is to safeguard the privacy of conversations by ensuring that only the participants in the call have access to the encryption keys, which change with each new connection or disconnection. This means that no unauthorized parties can access the transferred data at any point.
Furthermore, Discord has established an open and accessible system for auditing, allowing interested users to examine its operations. The protocol also supports participant verification through additional mechanisms, increasing trust in calls.
Despite these enhancements, users will not experience any changes to the familiar interface or call quality. The transition to the new protocol will happen automatically in the background, with Discord aiming to make the process seamless and convenient for all users.
The new encryption will be available on all supported devices, including mobile and desktop clients. For browser versions, some restrictions may arise due to the WEBRTC API, but developers are already working on resolving these issues.
The Dave Protocol boasts high performance even with a large number of participants, with Discord claiming that E2EE will be applied to calls of any scale without compromising security levels.
Discord is also working on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) key exchange protocol, which provides keys to update the composition of call participants. This helps prevent access to previously transmitted data by those who have left the call or new participants.
As Discord continues to enhance the safety and user experience on the platform, future updates are expected to introduce new features that will further protect user data.