Method and apparatus for expiring messages in electronic communications

A method of off-the-record communication including expiring messages, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a server, an electronic communication from a source device, the electronic communication including at least one expiring message;
• temporarily storing, at the server, content of the expiring message in a non-durable memory for a predetermined amount of time;
• durably storing, at the server, envelope information associated with the expiring message in a durable memory apart from the content of the expiring message that is stored in the non-durable memory;
• determining whether a recipient device for the expiring message is available to accept transmission of the expiring message and determining whether an expiration event has occurred;
• and
• transmitting information to the recipient device, wherein the transmitted information is contingent upon the determination of whether an expiration event has occurred and includes one of the group consisting of:
• the content of the expiring message when the recipient device is available to accept transmission of the expiring message before the expiration event has occurred, and
• the envelope information of the expiring message when the recipient device is not available to accept transmission of the expiring message until after the expiration event has occurred.