{"id":231182,"date":"2021-04-20T13:40:54","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T10:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/is-whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-and-does-that-matter-for-privacy\/"},"modified":"2021-04-20T13:40:54","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T10:40:54","slug":"is-whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-and-does-that-matter-for-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-and-does-that-matter-for-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"#Is WhatsApp End-to-End Encrypted, and Does That Matter for Privacy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2675e901cc6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2675e901cc6\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-and-does-that-matter-for-privacy\/#The_Limits_of_End-to-End_Encryption\" >The Limits of End-to-End Encryption<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-and-does-that-matter-for-privacy\/#WhatsApp_Facebook_and_Data_Collection\" >WhatsApp, Facebook, and Data Collection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-and-does-that-matter-for-privacy\/#WhatsApp_vs_Signal_and_Telegram\" >WhatsApp vs. Signal and Telegram<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/is-whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-and-does-that-matter-for-privacy\/#WhatsApps_Response\" >WhatsApp\u2019s Response<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WhatsApp<\/a> End-to-End Encrypted, and Does That Matter for Privacy?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-723610 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/lock-whatsapp.jpg?width=1200&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A silhouette of a padlock in front of a WhatsApp logo.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"555\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/july-11-2020-brazil-this-photo-1774153694\" data-credittext=\"rafapress\/Shutterstock.com\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/july-11-2020-brazil-this-photo-1774153694\">rafapress\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>WhatsApp\u2019s changes to its <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whatsapp.com\/legal\/privacy-policy\">privacy policy<\/a>\u00a0in 2021 made headlines and caused a mass migration of users away from the app. Its new explanation of terms appeared to show that it would share information with Facebook, who bought the app in February of 2014.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Limits_of_End-to-End_Encryption\"><\/span>The Limits of End-to-End Encryption<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You might be wondering why that matters if the data you send via the app is still\u00a0end-to-end encrypted. Doesn\u2019t that mean that your data is secure? Well, yes and no.<\/p>\n<p>WhatsApp does still utilize end-to-end encryption, but it collects more metadata on you than apps like Signal. WhatsApp\u2019s encryption doesn\u2019t protect you from that kind of data collection\u2014and all that metadata now gets shared with WhatsApp\u2019s parent company Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>That means if the servers Facebook stores your information on are breached, sensitive data could still be compromised. And recent <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> of a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2021\/apr\/06\/facebook-breach-data-leak\">500-million-user breach<\/a> doesn\u2019t exactly inspire confidence in Facebook\u2019s data security measures.<\/p>\n<p>As a quick refresher, end-to-end encryption is when information sent between two devices is secured from the moment it\u2019s sent to the moment it\u2019s received. Only the people involved in the message can see what it says\u2014even the company hosting the app doesn\u2019t have the keys to unlock the data.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Is End-to-End Encryption, and Why Does It Matter?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WhatsApp_Facebook_and_Data_Collection\"><\/span><b>WhatsApp, Facebook, and Data Collection<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Users started becoming wary of the relationship between WhatsApp and Facebook back in 2016, when it came out that WhatsApp was sharing user\u2019s phone numbers and analytics data with Facebook by default, contradicting the company\u2019s previous stance on user data privacy. You could still protect your data, but only by manually opting out.<\/p>\n<p>In January of 2021, WhatsApp pushed this further by publishing changes to its privacy policy, making data sharing with Facebook mandatory for its users. Users originally had until February 8 to agree to the new policy, but the deadline has since been extended until May 15.<\/p>\n<p>If users don\u2019t agree to the new terms by then, they won\u2019t be able to read or send messages on WhatsApp. They\u2019ll still be able to get calls and notifications for \u201ca short time,\u201d but the account will be considered inactive. WhatsApp has warned users that their policy on inactive accounts\u2014which is to delete them after 120 days\u2014will apply, stating:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cYou can still accept the updates after May 15th. Our policy related to inactive users will apply\u2026To maintain security, limit data retention, and protect the privacy of our users, WhatsApp accounts are <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly deleted after 120 days of inactivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Coupled with this announcement was the launch of Apple\u2019s new \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/60021\/apple-requiring-app-store-devs-to-post-privacy-nutrition-labels\/\">privacy label<\/a>\u201d feature. The feature went live at the end of 2020, requiring apps listed in the App Store to show what data they collect on users. Users can now plainly see that, although WhatsApp does utilize end-to-end encryption by default on all messaging, it still collects metadata, including location data, contacts, identifying data (such as user ID), and purchases. And it shares all that data with Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>Facebook Messenger\u2019s list of metadata is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/9to5mac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/App-privacy-labels-messaging-apps.png?w=2000&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1\">even more extensive<\/a>, and Facebook plans to integrate it with WhatsApp in the near future. So while messages may remain private, there\u2019s still plenty of identifying information on users that could be compromised in the event of a data breach.<\/p>\n<p>All of this has led users to abandon WhatsApp in droves for other messaging apps that offer more security, like Signal and Telegram.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WhatsApp_vs_Signal_and_Telegram\"><\/span><b>WhatsApp vs. Signal and Telegram<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most people leaving WhatsApp are going to one of two apps: Signal and Telegram. Of those two, Signal is the one that provides better security.<\/p>\n<p>Signal\u2019s user interface is similar to what WhatsApp users know, making it an easy switch. It also uses end-to-end encryption by default on all messaging. Telegram only end-to-end encrypts one-on-one \u201csecret chats,\u201d and you have to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/opinion-encryption-has-never-been-more-essential-or-threatened\/\">manually set it that way<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Signal also only requires one thing from users: a phone number. And it doesn\u2019t attempt to link that phone number to your identity. It doesn\u2019t collect metadata like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, and your messages are all stored directly on your device instead of on a cloud server.<\/p>\n<p>Group conversations are also end-to-end encrypted with Signal, which is something that\u2019s not offered to Telegram users\u2014Telegram secret chats can only be between two people, and all other messaging through the app is stored on the company\u2019s cloud servers.<\/p>\n<p>Signal is also run by a donation-funded company, meaning that they aren\u2019t incentivized to collect data from app use for advertisers. The code that they base their encryption on is open source. Overall, Signal has a much stronger commitment to user privacy than WhatsApp and Facebook. And that commitment garnered such an influx of users that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/signalapp\/status\/1350118809860886528\">Signal temporarily crashed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Signal vs. Telegram: Which Is the Best Chat App?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WhatsApps_Response\"><\/span><b>WhatsApp\u2019s Response<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>WhatsApp has, as expected, launched a damage control campaign to try and reassure users that their data is still safe. The company is leaning heavily on the fact that it still uses end-to-end encryption by default to assuage privacy concerns.<\/p>\n<p>In an op-ed for Wired entitled \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/opinion-encryption-has-never-been-more-essential-or-threatened\/\">Encryption Has Never Been More Essential\u2014or Threatened<\/a>,\u201d WhatsApp head Will Cathcart writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIn the past five years, WhatsApp has securely delivered over 100 trillion messages to over 2 billion users. During the height of the global pandemic lockdown, end-to-end encryption protected people\u2019s most personal thoughts when it was impossible to come together in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Cathcart goes on to point out that law enforcement and big corporations have increased pressure on companies to hand over user\u2019s private data or to create backdoors that they can use to access user data, like messages, in the future.<\/p>\n<p>But that doesn\u2019t appear to be what has WhatsApp users concerned\u2014they\u2019re worried about the metadata collected, regardless of end-to-end encrypted messaging. And with metadata collection now required to use the app, people may not be so willing to trust it anymore.<\/p>\n<p>WhatsApp is reportedly working on encrypted iCloud backups that would be password-protected. Once the feature goes live, iCloud users could make encrypted backups of their WhatsApp data that would require a password to access.<\/p>\n<p>Since users would be able to encrypt their data before uploading it to the cloud, it would theoretically be safer. The update is still in beta as of this writing, but if WhatsApp can launch it soon enough, it may be able to regain some of its user base.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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