Tech

WhatsApp initiates non-stop encryption

Published

8 years ago

April 6, 2016

Instant messaging platform Whatsapp has initiated a non-stop encryption for users who’ll be happy to know that everything they do on the app is now protected.

“From now on when you and your contacts use the latest version of the app, every call you make, and every message, photo, video, file, and voice message you send, is end-to-end encrypted by default, including group chats,” founder Jan Koum has stated on the WhatsApp blog.

That means more than one billion people, whether they are using an iPhone, an Android device, a Nokia device, a Blackberry, or a Windows Phone, are being protected from hackers, cyber-criminals, governments, and anyone interested in eavesdropping on their conversations.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, claims that it cannot read the messages either.

It’s still unclear if WhatsApp will be able to help law enforcement get access to data in connection with criminal investigations. The Department of Justice has recently been examining how it can proceed with wiretap orders related to WhatsApp, as it cannot break into the encrypted service.

Koum has spoken out about the benefits and importance of encryption before, notably when was facing a court order to into the iPhone of the San Bernardino terrorist shooter.

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