WhatsApp has activated a new global security option to encrypt messages from end to end for application users across all platforms. The encrypted message in WhatsApp the headlines of half the world about the possible consequences in the short and long term that will secure the measure amid a delicate debate between security and privacy, published portal ticbeat.com.
Written by Victor Perez
In recent months the press in the US has closely followed the legal battle between Apple and the FBI faced by a federal order requiring access to the iPhone one of the authors of the massacre of San Bernardino (California) in the 14 people were killed.
Apple declined from the first minute to the order of the California justice and appealed the decision at the end of February opening an already clear discussion for some time in Silicon Valley on the need to raise the level of safety of users after revelations as Edward Snowden leaks that revealed the massive and covert surveillance by US authorities.
The dispute in court between the US authorities and the company that runs Tim Cook ended a few weeks ago unexpectedly because the FBI gained access to the iPhone terrorist Syed Farook without help from Apple, but now is another company that returns to rescue a debate facing technology companies and governments.
WhatsApp has enabled the encrypted message to the more than one billion people who use their application to exchange messages, make phone calls, send images, photos and other documents. The E2EE (end-to-end) encryption includes all types of phones: from the aforementioned iPhone to Android phones, BlackBerry or Windows Phone operating under. The only requirement for users is to upgrade the application to the latest version.
Enabling the encrypted message in WhatsApp
In other words, from now WhatsApp in theory it has no way to enforce a court order requiring access to messages or documents sent through its service. "The idea is simple: when you send a message, the only person who can read is the person or group that sent that message and nobody else. Neither hackers or cybercriminals or oppressive regimes. Even us, "explained in his blog Jan Koum and Brian Acton, WhatsApp founders.
To Koum encryption it is a personal matter. "I grew up in the Soviet Union during the communist regime and the fact that people could not speak freely was one of the reasons why my family moved to the United States" sentence.
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Silicon Valley's commitment is evident by encryption and WhatsApp, owned by Facebook for more than two years ago, is only the latest example. In this case the company has employed a small team of 15 engineers to implement encryption in a job that has lasted 18 months and was activated worldwide Tuesday with some problems, especially when encrypt conversations between mobile Android and iOS.