Encrypted Spaces is a research project that aims to extend end-to-end encryption to collaboration apps like Slack, Google Docs, and Discord by providing an open, reusable infrastructure for developers to build privacy-preserving apps.

It offers a reusable, verifiable platform and standard library for developers to integrate strong privacy into collaborative tools, rather than targeting end users directly.

While existing E2EE options exist—such as Proton workspace, Fileverse, CryptPad, and Signal group chats—Encrypted Spaces seeks broad adoptions by providing a common infrastructure that developers can adopt.

The project is likely to intensify debates over encryption, underscoring tensions between privacy and government regulation, echoing recent discussions around UK encryption measures and historical Crypto Wars.

The core approach encrypts data and relies on verifiable cryptographic operations, including zero-knowledge proofs, so a central server coordinates collaboration without accessing unencrypted user data, reducing exposure risks for journalists and activists.

The initiative is led by contributors including the co-creator of the Signal protocol and researchers from Microsoft and Harvard, described as a “Research Preview” with code on GitHub and a demo app named Spaces.