May 4, 2021, Hong Kong – yyResearch, a Hong Kong tech startup that specialise in software and app development, today launches OpusChat, a privacy-focused and safe communication system that models how we manage relationships and interact with each other in real-life. With its multi-layer privacy options, multiple personas, secure multi-media messaging features and high-quality voice calls, OpusChat is an instant messaging app like no other and is now available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store.
“Privacy is not a luxury, it is a necessity. People should have the ability to protect themselves from scammers, spammers, stalkers, cyberbullies and doxing,” said Edmund Hor, co-founder and CEO of yyResearch. “Personal information is not only being misused for monetisation but also provides material for fraudsters and identity thieves, making data privacy a growing concern for everyone. This is the very reason we decided to develop OpusChat, an ethical communication system that gives users control over how their relationships are established and managed, and eliminates any unsolicited contact. More importantly, OpusChat does not require users to share their personal information and minimises data storage to protect their privacy.”
He continued, “With OpusChat, we’ve developed a fun and safer way for everyone to connect and communicate, and we are extremely excited to introduce this product to the world.”
OpusChat is a privacy-focused and safe mobile communication tool with all the features users look for in an instant messaging app and more.
Giving Users Full Control Over Their Data and Privacy
OpusChat does not require a phone number or email when new users register to use the app. Instead, it provides every user a unique ID and QR code so that others can search or scan to make a new friend connection. This ensures that the user is connecting to people they really know and eliminates any unsolicited phone calls or messages. For users who wish to invite friends from their phone’s contact list to chat on OpusChat, they have the option to do so as well. Once a new friend connection is established, users have full control over how they interact with each other, what they can see, share or receive, and customise the settings for each relationship. With these features, users can choose to be as private or as open as they like when using OpusChat.
Modeling Real-life Relationships and Interactions
One of the unique features in OpusChat is allowing users to create “Multiple Personas” under a single account. People have different identities and play different roles when connecting with family, friends, colleagues, and people in different social circles. In real life, we can choose how we interact with each individual and there is a varying degree of intimacy with each relationship. This “Multiple Personas” feature was designed with this in mind, giving user the ability to customise and control how they present themselves and how they manage each relationship.
Providing Users Peace of Mind and Protection
Prior to the launch of the OpusChat app, yyResearch’s leadership and R&D team have accumulated more than two decades of experience developing secure commodity e-trading platforms for world class exchanges, national utility companies and multinational financial institutes with an indisputable reputation for high business integrity. With these experiences and proven track record, OpusChat was designed and developed with the user’s privacy and security in mind. The app matches up to the industry’s standard for end-to-end encryption, there is no tracking of user experience data and it minimises storage of user data to protect the privacy of the user.
“At yyResearch, we believe that systems are easier to use if they work in harmony with how we behave as human beings. We created personas to model how we identify ourselves and interact with the various social groups in our lives. We want people to be able to communicate securely and feel confident that their data is being treated with the utmost respect and not being used for nefarious purposes. We hope that OpusChat will set a new bar in user privacy control and protection, and we are very excited to be launching it,” said Paul Blaikie, co-founder and CTO of yyResearch.
