MUC encryption plugin

[Sebastian Lechner]

Hello folks,

I have some questions regarding end-to-end encryption in pidgin. I know
that there are plugins (OTR, OpenPGP) that enable pidgin users to
encrypt one-to-one conversations. As far as I know no plugin supporting
MUC encryption has been developed yet though. Am I correct?

The amount of time I've invested into the search for FLOSS programs
supporting end-to-end encryption for chat rooms suggests that they must
be very rare in general. Crypto.cat is the only example I can name at
the moment. It offers secure chat rooms for up to 10 people. I am not to
enthusiastic about it requiring a browser for execution as well as being
written in JavaScript though.

Some groups working on liberatory social change (covering topics such as
human rights or animal rights) to which I belong or that I know of use
Pidgin and one of the above plugins for secure one-to-one communication
(in combination with Tor) to make it harder for repressive authorities
to monitor them. I know that many of the activists known to me would
really appreciate secure group conversation too.

Turns out that to attain a Bachelor's degree in computer science I will
have to implement a security-related program, so I am planning on
writing a MUC encryption plugin for Pidgin based on OpenPGP or OTR (I
have not taken a decision on the encryption system yet). I've mostly
developed stuff in object-oriented languages so far, but I'm quite
fluent in C also.

My main questions are the following: How would Pidgin/libpurple support
the development of a plugin of this type? How high would you rate the
chances of success for the development of such a plugin?

All the best!
Sebastian