Self-destructing chat
Self-destructing chat: what disappearing should actually mean
A message disappearing from the screen is not the same thing as a conversation that was never archived. The difference matters when the conversation is the liability.
Five separate questions hide behind “disappearing”
- Can the service read the content? End-to-end encryption should keep plaintext on participant devices.
- Does the server keep a transcript? Removing a message from the app UI says nothing about server-side retention.
- Does the room itself expire? Message timers and room destruction solve different problems.
- Is an identity required? Accounts and phone numbers can make a temporary conversation permanently attributable.
- What metadata remains? Encryption does not hide every connection time, message size, IP address, or presence signal from infrastructure.
Where a disposable room fits
Babili is for one conversation, not a permanent contact network. A creator opens a room, issues a single-use invite, exchanges encrypted messages or files, and destroys the room when the job is done.
Message and file content is encrypted in the browser. A Cloudflare Durable Object relays ciphertext and coordinates the live room without persisting its transcript. The relay can still observe connection metadata such as timing, sizes, IP addresses, and presence.