Facebook is testing the arrival of end-to-end encryption by default on Messenger. As part of this experiment, all conversations will be automatically encrypted. Facebook will not be able to consult or provide them at the request of justice.
Facebook continues to work on end-to-end encryption for Messenger, its instant messaging service. In a post published on August 11, 2022, the social network indicates that it has run end-to-end encryption test by default between certain people. The experiment begins this week with a handful of users.
“If you’re in the test group, some of your most frequent chats can be automatically end-to-end encrypted, meaning you won’t have to enable the feature,” Facebook says.
Currently, encryption is not not enabled by default on Facebook Messenger. It must be activated manually within the interface by checking an icon in the shape of a padlock. The operation must be repeated before each conversation. This is why Messenger is considered less secure than messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal.
Amazing timing
The announcement comes days after a new scandal damaged Facebook’s reputation. As part of’an investigation into an illegal abortion, the group communicated to justice the conversations between a mother and her 17-year-old daughter. As of June 24, abortion is illegal after 20 weeks of pregnancy in the state of Nebraska. The girl would have aborted at the end of the 24th week.
If end-to-end encryption had been activated, Facebook would not have been able to view the private messages exchanged. Law enforcement could not have claimed access to these conversations. As a reminder, Messenger uses the same encryption protocol as WhatsApp, the Signal Protocol. It is an open source encryption protocol.
Disappearing vanishing mode
In its press release, the Californian group also announces that it is testing a feature called “secure storage”. This option will encrypt messenger chat history which is stored in the cloud. Facebook will not have access to backup content. To access it, the Internet user must provide a previously chosen PIN code or generate a security code through their Facebook account.
“Secure Storage will be the default way to protect your end-to-end encrypted chat history on Messenger,” Facebook says.
Facebook is also preparing for the disappearance of vanish mode, or disappearance mode in French. This mode allows you to send a message, a photo, a video, a GIF or a sticker that will be erased as soon as the recipient has read it. The social network is also testing other minor features, such as synchronization of deleted messages between devices.
Source :
Facebook