OpenMLS

Numerous communication tools already employ end-to-end encryption. MLS is a modern encryption protocol that allows for more comprehensive protection of communications while guaranteeing additional security properties compared to previous protocols. Such protection is indispensable in various applications for companies and government, as well as for civil society. In addition, MLS is particularly relevant in contexts where end-to-end encryption has been prevented for efficiency reasons, such as groups with many participants.

OpenMLS is implemented in Rust, a platform-independent programming language that enables particularly robust and secure implementations with its memory safety and extensive type system.

The platform independence of OpenMLS can help to establish the MLS protocol as a standard and thus enable interoperability between applications. The open license under which OpenMLS is published makes OpenMLS a public good that anyone can use and modify for his or her own purposes. Improvements to OpenMLS thus benefit a large user base.

In summary, OpenMLS is an important building block for future administration, governmental and business communication projects. OpenMLS is also a highly relevant project for individuals, developers, and civil society.

The funding will help to align the OpenMLS library with the latest specification (specification draft-16), increase its robustness through testing, and develop a framework that can be used for interoperability testing with other MLS implementations.