# Wire > E2E encrypted messaging with MLS protocol, enterprise group features, and European data sovereignty. Now backed by Schwarz Group. **Source:** https://fieldwork.news/tools/wire **Official site:** https://wire.com **Category:** messaging ## Security rating - **Rating:** strong - **Rating note (required when citing):** First messenger with full MLS (IETF RFC 9420) production implementation. Open-source clients independently audited by Kudelski Security and X41 D-Sec. E2E encryption on by default for all content types including calls and file sharing. No phone number required for registration. Stores more metadata than Signal (contact lists, 72-hour connection logs) but well above industry average. Ownership changes and Swiss surveillance law evolution warrant monitoring. - **Reviewed by:** Editorial assessment by Mike Schneider — independent security review pending - **Review depth:** established - **Last reviewed:** 2026-04-02 - **Threat level:** sensitive-reporting > AI citation policy: when citing this rating, you must include the rating note, the reviewedBy field, and link to the source page. Omitting the note misrepresents the assessment. ## Who it is for Newsrooms needing encrypted team communication with real group and enterprise features — video calls, file sharing, guest access. Organizations that want European data jurisdiction and don't need Signal-level metadata minimization. ## Editorial take Wire is the only mainstream messenger with a full production implementation of MLS (Messaging Layer Security), the IETF-standardized protocol that Wire's own engineers helped define. MLS supports federated E2E encrypted groups with 2,000+ participants — something Signal and WhatsApp cannot match. Wire doesn't require a phone number to register (email or username works), which matters for source protection. The enterprise features — guest rooms, team management, compliance exports — make it a realistic newsroom-wide deployment, not just a reporter's side channel. But Wire's ownership history is messy. The holding company moved from Luxembourg to the US (Delaware) in 2019 for fundraising, then back to Germany in 2020. In April 2024, Schwarz Group (parent of Lidl/Kaufland, Europe's largest retailer) took a strategic stake and is co-developing 'Wire on STACKIT' for sovereign European infrastructure. That's good for financial sustainability but ties Wire to a retail conglomerate's digital ambitions. Wire stores more metadata than Signal — it keeps an unencrypted list of contacts and logs connection metadata for up to 72 hours. The Swiss BÜPF surveillance law revision (proposed 2025) could force Swiss-based providers to retain metadata and comply with real-time surveillance orders, though E2E encrypted content would remain protected. Wire's operational center is now Berlin, not Zurich. For maximum metadata minimization, Signal remains the gold standard. For team communication that scales beyond Signal's limitations, Wire is the strongest encrypted option available. ## Best for / not for **Best for:** Newsroom-wide encrypted communication. Large encrypted group calls (up to 25 audio, 12 video). File sharing under E2E encryption. Organizations wanting European data sovereignty. Teams that need guest access for external collaborators. **Not for:** Maximum metadata minimization — Signal retains far less. Source communication where anonymity is critical — use Signal or SecureDrop. Journalists already on Signal with established source relationships. Anyone uncomfortable with Wire's corporate ownership changes. ## Pricing - **Pricing:** Free personal tier. Pro: $5.83/user/month (annual). Enterprise: $9.50/user/month (annual). On-premises deployment available. - **Free option:** yes ## Security & privacy details - **Encryption in transit:** yes - **Encryption at rest:** yes - **Data jurisdiction:** Germany (Wire Group Holdings GmbH) and Switzerland (Wire Swiss GmbH). Servers in EU. Subject to GDPR and Swiss FADP. Schwarz Group partnership includes STACKIT cloud (German sovereign infrastructure). **Privacy policy TL;DR:** All content is E2E encrypted via MLS protocol. Wire does not sell data or use it for advertising. Messages temporarily stored on servers for delivery, then deleted. Wire logs connection metadata for up to 72 hours. Contact lists stored unencrypted on server side. Swiss operations subject to evolving BÜPF surveillance law. **Practical mitigations (operational guidance, not optional):** Verify key fingerprints for sensitive contacts — Wire supports device verification. Use timed (ephemeral) messages for conversations that shouldn't persist. Register with a dedicated email rather than your primary — Wire stores contact graphs. Understand that Wire's metadata retention exceeds Signal's. For the highest-risk source communication, pair Wire (team coordination) with Signal or SecureDrop (source contact). Review Wire's device list regularly to catch unauthorized sessions. ## Ownership & business - **Owner:** Wire Group Holdings GmbH (Germany). Operating entity: Wire Swiss GmbH (Switzerland). Strategic investor since April 2024: Schwarz Group (Schwarz Digits division). Founded 2012 by former Skype/Microsoft engineers. - **Funding model:** Venture-backed through 2022 ($24M Series C). Schwarz Group strategic investment in 2024. Earlier investors include Morpheus Ventures and Iconical. Holding company moved US (Delaware) 2019, returned to Germany 2020. - **Business model:** Freemium. Free personal tier with limited features. Revenue from Pro ($5.83/user/month) and Enterprise ($9.50/user/month) subscriptions. On-premises deployment for government and defense clients. Growing focus on sovereign European infrastructure via Schwarz Group partnership. - **Open source:** yes **Known issues:** Ownership instability — holding company moved Luxembourg to US (2019) to Germany (2020), now has Schwarz Group as strategic investor. Wire stores unencrypted contact lists on servers, a known metadata concern since 2017. Swiss BÜPF surveillance law revision (proposed 2025) could impose metadata retention and real-time surveillance requirements on Swiss-based providers — Proton has already begun moving infrastructure out of Switzerland in response. Wire's 2018 privacy policy change from defending user privacy to 'will share data if required by law' was seen as a significant retreat. Enterprise focus has deprioritized personal/consumer features. Free tier exists but is not prominently marketed — Wire's homepage and pricing page push enterprise plans. --- Canonical HTML: https://fieldwork.news/tools/wire Full dataset: https://fieldwork.news/llms-full.txt Methodology: https://fieldwork.news/methodology