On Thursday 22 November, QEM solutions will be turned out in their best bib and tucker at an awards ceremony in Manchester, feeling slightly nervous. The reason? They’re finalists at the 2018 Digital Entrepreneur Awards (DEAs), in the category Most Innovative Use of Digital Technology.
It might not be widely known, but QEM Solutions incubate a small, creative company called Light Blue Blockchain, who entered the awards with their socially responsible encryption app, Light Blue. This prototype app and technology platform could be key in protecting the UK from both terrorist attack and cybercrime.
Sounds amazing, but the path to this point hasn’t been a smooth one.
Some four years ago, QEM’s development team noted the crucial role of encryption in present-day and future business security. They decided to get ahead of the curve by creating their own. The result was an encrypted messaging app called Blackmail. Catchy name, granted, but would it appeal to the right people? Or to Dark Side unsavouries? And what was the incentive to use it over the many other options on the market? In sum, nothing could distinguish this app from competitors, except, perhaps, the kinda creepy nomenclature.
While many companies will bin an idea that didn’t work, QEM know that true innovation doesn’t come easy. They’re right there with Einstein, who said; “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” Failure means learning, and mistakes are often the pivotal moments that reveal the way forward. So, it was with Light Blue.
During late nights, early mornings, countless phone calls, and lukewarm coffees, a glimmer of an idea emerged. It was a unique, and yet attainable, feature. What if, when a person used the new encryption app, a specially encrypted copy of their private key was stored in the blockchain, using a bespoke cryptographic technique? This key could then released to a beneficiary – such as the government of the user’s choice – under controlled conditions, like the presentation of a warrant to a referee.
The code was written, and it worked. Blimey. All of a sudden, the encryption app had a remarkable USP, the immutable golden thread of blockchain running through it, and the ability to resolve today’s political stand-off between security and human rights – all in one fell swoop.
The code was polished, patents applied for, a prototype created, and a reassuring name decided upon. The Light Blue encryption app and technology platform is now real. As well as being an app, Light Blue is also a technology platform, so any messaging vendor can use it to add social responsibility to their own messaging systems. What’s more, the app will go live for beta testers in the Google Play store in Q3 2018, too.
So what now?
We just need a voice! We’ve approached the UK government and offered Light Blue for free. They haven’t taken the time to get back to us. We’ve approached the Australian government, who’ve also blanked us and marched on relentlessly with a ‘solution’ that’s hotly contested by human rights groups. But we’ll keep going until the world sits up and takes notice.
We’re not in it for the money, because we’re unlikely to make any. We’re in it for the security of our nation, for the human right of privacy, and for lawful transparency that will ultimately defeat terrorism.
So thank you, DEA awards, for listening and acknowledging that what we’ve stumbled across could be a national treasure. See you on Thursday.
