Articles about E2EE

New rules in Europe means that WhatsApp will have to offer interoperability with other messaging apps and platforms. This is something that Meta has already been talking about, having published its preference for third parties to use the Signal Protocol as the foundation for these E2EE communications.

Use of the Signal Protocol will not be a requirement for interoperability, but whatever protocol is used by a third-party messaging app or platform, it will need to show they offer "the same security guarantees as Signal". To communicate security to users, WhatsApp is introducing a new "end-to-end encrypted" label that will be added to secure chats.

Continue reading →

Security is vital for digital communication, and that's why the likes of Telegram and WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is so important and popular. Meta has long been keen to expand this security feature to its various other messaging platforms, and now the Facebook-owner has announced that it is implementing E2EE for all Messenger users.

The company points out that this is currently a test phase, so while more and more people will see immediate security enhancements, the rollout will not be complete until the end of the year.

Continue reading →

Meta is adding a new warning to encrypted chats in Messenger so that users will know if another participant has taken a screenshot of the conversation.

The company formerly known as Facebook has already implemented this same feature into messages sent when the app's Vanish Mode is activated. While Messenger has not been updated to prevent screenshots from being taken in in E2E encrypted chats or Vanish Mode conversations, the appearance of the warning should serve as a deterrent against secret screen grabbing.

Continue reading →

From a privacy point of view, there is much to love about end-to-end encryption, as employed by the likes of WhatsApp. But while users may delight in the knowledge that their communication is free from surveillance, there are some groups that have a different opinion.

Law enforcement agencies have long-complained that E2E encryption stands in the way of investigations, and serves to complicate evidence gathering. Many governments are of the same mind, and it's not just those that are traditionally regarded as totalitarian by other countries. Governments from ostensibly democratic countries are opposed to E2E encryption, and some are using underhand tactics in negative PR campaigns.

Continue reading →

Microsoft is improving the security of one-on-one Teams chats by adding end-to-end encryption. After a couple of months of testing the feature as part of a public preview the company says that the optional security boost is now generally available.

In order for calls to be protected, both parties need to have end-to-end encryption enabled. And if you're wondering why you might want to have E2EE disabled in Microsoft Teams, it's because having the security feature enabled means that some other call features do not work.

Continue reading →

Meta recently announced that the protection, privacy and security offered by end-to-end encryption will not be coming to Facebook Messenger or Instagram until some time in 2023. Until then, anyone looking to send secure messages through Meta's platform will have to turn to WhatsApp.

What was not made particularly clear at the time of the announcement, however, is just why there is such a delay. Now Meta has opened up and revealed some of the thinking behind holding back on the roll-out of end-to-end encryption across all of its messaging services.

Continue reading →