Twitter purchases Whisper Systems to tighten mobile data security

Twitter has acquired mobile security and privacy solutions startup Whisper Systems. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Twitter acknowledged the deal in a statement but declined to supply additional details.

Whisper Systems offers a series of mobile data security and encryption tools optimized for Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android mobile operating system, including WhisperCore, Flashback and RedPhone. Earlier this year, the firm generated headlines when activists embraced its software during the Arab Spring demonstrations.

"The Whisper Systems software as our users know it will live on (and we have some surprises in store that we're excited about), but there is unfortunately a transition period where we will have to temporarily take our products and services offline," the firm states on its blog. "RedPhone service will be interrupted immediately, but FlashBack users have a month to pull off any backup data they would like before that service also goes offline."

Twitter now boasts more than 100 million active users. Fifty-five percent of all active users are active on mobile devices.

For more:
- read this Whisper System blog entry

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