Pakistani engineers have developed and successfully tested a new homegrown messaging app called “Beep,” designed to ensure secure communication among government officials, announced the National Information Technology Board (NITB) on July 30, amidst the country’s ongoing restrictions on social media and frequent internet shutdowns aimed at curbing opposition.
Babar Majid, CEO of NITB, revealed that Beep has been undergoing trial runs since 2023 and is now ready for launch. The app’s primary purpose is to facilitate uninterrupted communication among government officials, especially during times of crisis when mobile and internet services are suspended.
“Beep is safer than other messaging apps,” Majid stated, highlighting its capabilities to share text, audio, and videos and conduct conference calls.
“We have developed an application focused on secure and unified communication among government officials. The purpose of Beep Pakistan is to protect our privacy and data,” said Shaza Fatima Khwaja, the state minister for information technology and telecommunication.
Khwaja emphasized that Beep should not be compared to WhatsApp, as it is an official platform for government use, unlike the commercial nature of WhatsApp.
The potential rollout of Beep could eventually extend to millions of Pakistani citizens, pending government approval. This development came as locals struggled with internet access due to governmental restrictions, such as the blockage of the social networking platform X ahead of the February 8 parliamentary elections earlier this year.
The initiative to create Beep also stems from concerns over the security of existing messaging platforms. Reports in December 2019 revealed that at least two dozen senior Pakistani officials were targeted by Pegasus, a spyware developed by the Israeli cybersecurity firm NSO. This incident prompted the government to develop a local communication app to ensure data privacy and protection in government communications.
Despite these assurances, digital rights activists remain cautious. Ramsha Jahangir, a digital rights expert, warned about the exposure of sensitive user data through unsecured data or app assets.
“Local ‘solutions’ should prioritize respecting users’ privacy rather than merely increasing government power over the private sector,” Jahangir said.
The success of Beep will be closely watched, especially given the challenges faced by other countries in developing locally-made messaging apps. For example, Koo, an X-like social media platform developed in India, struggled due to a lack of funding despite government endorsement.