This Article Will Self-Destruct: Behind Ephemeral Messaging's In-House Rise

Chief Information Officer Kermit Wallace was quoted in an article, "This Article Will Self-Destruct: Behind Ephemeral Messaging's In-House Rise," published by ALM's LegalTech News. The article discusses the growing enterprise of ephemeral messaging applications despite potential roadblocks to in-house compliance and e-discovery operations. As noted in the article, Wallace notes companies that implement mobile device management controls can limit and monitor what data ephemeral messaging mobile apps access. The same controls, he adds, can also be put in place for desktop apps that have self-deleting functions.

The article also reports a broader shift in how courts approach potential evidence destruction by ephemeral messaging. Wallace told ALM that courts and the DOJ's move to affirm the legitimate business purpose of ephemeral messages within companies represent a sea change from how the technology has been perceived in the not-too-distant past. He explained that oftentimes, "use of ephemeral messaging apps colored the perception that there was something nefarious going on." But now, "I think that perception is changing," he said, adding that given the rise of privacy and data breach concerns, self-deleting apps are now met with less such skepticism.