Hunter Biden downloaded sixteen private messaging apps prior to 2019, many of which utilized encryption, according to a new report by the New York Post.
The apps included Signal, Chinese messaging app WeChat, and Wickr, an encrypted app once favored in the criminal underworld, according to a New York Post report on Saturday citing an analysis of Hunter’s abandoned laptop by the activist group Marco Polo.
The Wickr app did not appear on the iPhone backup included in the laptop, but had previously downloaded onto the phone from iCloud, suggesting it had been installed and then deleted, a person familiar with the analysis told the Post.
There’s no evidence of what Hunter Biden discussed on the app or with whom, but the person speculated that it could contain conversations pertaining to his father, President Joe Biden.
The Daily Mail reported that although Wickr has often been mentioned in court documents related to drug dealing cases and other criminal activity, it also has many legitimate users.
The encrypted app initially targeted corporate users who sought protection from hackers, and has contracted with the US military.
Amazon acquired Wickr in 2021, and is in the process of phasing out the consumer application, known as ‘Wickr Me,’ with a pivot to focus on enterprise accounts.
Hunter Biden was charged last month with two misdemeanor crimes of failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes from over $1.5 million in income in both 2017 and 2018 and had been expected to plead guilty in exchange for two years of probation.
