As the world has gone digital, the ongoing preservation of security and privacy has remained a hot topic of conversation. Being the world's largest social network, Facebook knows only too well the importance of these two fundamentals. It is essential that Zuck and his team get these things right not only for the benefit of users, but also Facebook's own PR image. In this spirit, the Facebook-owned WhatsApp service now features end-to-end encryption across the board, meaning that all messages, photos, videos and voice notes transferred cannot be accessed by anybody other than the sender and intended recipient.
The update to the infrastructure means that not even WhatsApp can view the data, and has been activated for any and all users of the famed instant-messaging app. Whether you're still rocking WhatsApp on the BlackBerry OS or running the app on your iPhone, your correspondence cannot be snooped upon by outsiders.
The move by WhatsApp to deliver end-to-end encryption seems timely, given the
much-publicized recent skirmish between Apple and the FBI. Though it was never in much doubt, today's update affirms Facebook's stance as an ally to Apple in the protection of Joe Public's personal data.
Whether this move will prompt the likes of the FBI to demand loopholes to circumvent these digital blockades, only time will tell. But with one billion worldwide users, WhatsApp's position among the foremost IM apps has only been consolidated by the new encryption.
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Things that are NOT allowed: