Zoho has recently launched Aratai, a messaging app that has been creating quite a buzz online over the past couple of weeks. Dubbed by many as a potential “WhatsApp killer,” the app offers almost identical features such as chats, image, video, and document sharing.
Developed by Zoho’s founder, it has sparked curiosity among netizens who are now actively questioning what unique value it can bring, and, most importantly, the kind of privacy it promises to offer. One such question posed online recently caught attention, and the founder’s response to it has since gone viral.
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Zoho founder responds to viral privacy question on Arattai app
Zoho’s newly launched messaging app Arattai has been gaining attention in recent weeks, with many calling it a potential alternative to WhatsApp. While the app is promoted as a privacy-friendly option, one limitation that tech experts have pointed out is that it currently offers end-to-end encryption for calls but not for messaging. This led to a very interesting and rather bold question being asked by an X user, which has now gone viral.
The user, Ravi, directly addressed Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu and asked,
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“Forget secret lovers. Can a husband and wife exchange intimate pictures between them? Who all at Zoho have access to these pictures? Straight forward answer please.”
His question came in response to Vembu’s earlier remark that “secret lovers” could use the app safely without worrying about privacy concerns, though “secret rebels” engaging in illegal activities would not be free of consequences.
Responding to this, Sridhar Vembu gave a clear admission that Arattai currently does not support end-to-end encrypted messaging. However, he assured users that this feature is under development and will be available soon. He emphasized that his business runs on trust, stating,
“I said this clearly. Our entire SaaS business is based on the trust that we DO NOT access customer data and we do not use it for selling stuff to them.”
He also highlighted that, beyond technical features, earning and keeping user trust is far more valuable to Zoho.
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Vembu concluded his reply by reinforcing his commitment to user privacy, saying,
“End to end encryption is a technical feature and that is coming. Trust is far far more precious and we are earning that trust daily in the global market. We will continue to fulfill that trust of every user of our product everywhere.”
To say that his response has since gone viral would be a sheer understatement.
Have a look at it,
The question,
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Forget secret lovers. Can a husband and wife exchange intimate pictures brtween them? Who all at Zoho have access to these pictures? Straight forward answer please.
— Ravi (@tamilravi) October 8, 2025
The response,
I said this clearly. Our entire SAS business is based on the trust that we DO NOT access customer data and we do not use it for selling stuff to them.
End to end encryption is a technical feature and that is coming. Trust is far far more precious and we are earning that trust…
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) October 8, 2025
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Here is how netizens reacted to the response made by Sridhar Vembu
Sridhar Vembu’s response drew backlash from several users online. Many pointed out that his assurance was largely based on trust in Zoho’s internal policies rather than a foolproof technical safeguard. Critics argued that without end-to-end encryption for messaging, there is always the possibility, however small, that Zoho employees could access user data.
Have a look at some of the comments,
So, if I get it correctly, you DO NOT access the data while you CAN access the data right?
— Jenard (@ecletic_tweets) October 8, 2025
You don’t access private data, but you CAN access it unlike WhatsApp
— Nandip Makwana (@NandipMakwana) October 8, 2025
Zero trust is the way forward. I’m sure you are aware of the mushrooming of so many self hostable zero trust apps (Netbird, Zerotier, Tailscale etc.). Therefore E2EE must be prioritized. Trust is abstract unfortunately.
— Aditya Samitinjay, MD, MRCP (@Samitinjay2) October 8, 2025
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Trust us , take our word , when zero trust architecture should be basic .. What a phony explanation
— Mukesh (@mikejava85) October 8, 2025
Absolute clown stuff.
— Akash Devkate (@Akashd7) October 8, 2025
In short , ‘Trust me bro!’
— tnwatch (@tnwatch1) October 8, 2025
Privacy with conditions isn’t privacy — it’s control.
— Stocks Wala Insan Hu (@insanhu_) October 8, 2025
Responding to these concerns, Vembu offered further clarification. He explained by writing,
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“The data is stored in encrypted disk storage like a cloud service. No employee has access to it. When end to end encryption is rolled out, that cloud storage will be removed. It will only be there on the device.”
The data is stored in encrypted disk storage like a cloud service. No employee has access to it.
When end to end encryption is rolled out, that cloud storage will be removed. It will only be there on the device.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) October 8, 2025
This clarification aimed to ease concerns, though the debate underscored how strongly people value both trust and technical privacy protections in messaging apps.
What are your thoughts on the response made by Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu? Do share your thoughts via the comments below.
