I had anticipated in recent weeks but now it is official: as of this week, the WhatsApp messaging service Facebook expands security for its users through end-to-end encryption of chats and voice calls, in addition the existing privacy features.
While you are not concluded in the best way discussions between the FBI and Apple about the request of the US government to the Cupertino company to unlock the iPhone of the aggressor of the massacre in San Bernardino, with the FBI that it was eventually arranged with the help of some hackers likely to unlock the iPhone without Apple’s consent, Facebook has decided to encrypt voice calls in addition to group chats within Whatsapp , the messaging service more ‘popular in the world that is under his ownership’ for two years now.
Facebook has had problems similar to those that Apple has had the FBI but in Brazil. The difference between the two cases is that in Brazil, government officials were able to successfully obtain a court order to ask WhatsApp data from a user, the data but that ‘the company was unable to provide because it encrypts all messages of its users in 2014.
What does that WhatsApp has decided to provide users with the end-to-end encryption for all voice calls and group chats ? Encryption secures ‘prying’ conversations and calls eyes run through the platform, and such data may never be required from any government because the information exchanged will remain only on affected devices (recipient and sender) – even Whatsapp will have access to them .
how it works : the end-to-end encryption of WhatsApp (on by default and can not be disabled) ensures that only the sender and the person you are communicating (or group of persons ) can read what is sent, and no one else in the middle, even WhatsApp. Messages are secured with a padlock, and only the sender and recipients / I have the special key needed to unlock and read. For added protection, each message has its own lock and its own unique key. All this happens automatically: you do not need to activate any settings or create special secret chat to protect messages.
“The idea is simple: When you send a message, the only person who can read is the person or members of a group chat that you send the message,” he wrote of the co-founders of WhatsApp, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, in a post on the company blog.
While users may be happy to send messages that can not be intercepted, for this reason can not be considered equally satisfied with the US government and government agencies, whose purpose – they say – is the same: for the sake of national security. With data encryption, government investigators can no longer ‘access to our data and to users’ communications.
“While recognizing the important work of the police in keeping people safe, the efforts to weaken the encryption risk of exposing data to cybercriminals people, hackers and rogue states “, the co-founders wrote in their blog post.
Facebook bought WhatsApp two years ago to 19 billion, in part because it has grown to become one of the most popular messaging services in the world. People use it because it’s free, and you just need to have a data plan or access to a WiFi connection to texting with friends, putting aside the SMS.
“Privacy and security are our DNA, which is why we introduced the encryption end-to-end in the latest versions of our application “explains Whatsapp. “When encrypted end-to-end, messages, photos, videos, voice messages, documents and calls will not fall into the wrong hands”.
Whatsapp stresses that the end-to-end encryption is available when the ‘sender user and message recipients use the latest versions of WhatsApp.
“We have worked over the last two years to give people greater security on their conversations on WhatsApp” Jan Koum wrote in a post on Facebook. “I am proud that our team has reached this milestone: now every message, photos, videos, files and voice message sent is encrypted end-to-end by default if you and the people you messaggiate used the latest version of our app. Even your group chat and voice calls are encrypted. the people deserve security. it makes it possible for us to connect with our loved ones. it gives us the confidence to speak our minds. it allows us to communicate sensitive information with colleagues, friends, and others. We are pleased to do our part to keep information secure people from the hands of hackers and cyber-criminals. “
HOW tO ACTIVATE tHE END-tO ENCRYPTION -END WhatsApp :
The end-to-end encryption is always enabled, provided that all the parties are using the latest version of WhatsApp. There is no way to disable encryption, end-to-end.
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