Meta’s end-to-end encryption
Meta has announced that they have started implementing so-called end-to-end encryption for all personal chats and conversations on Messenger and Facebook, TT reports. This feature will be available for use immediately, but it may take some time before all Messenger accounts are updated with the default end-to-end encryption setting.
Previously, it was possible to manually enable end-to-end encryption on Messenger, which meant that only the sender and recipient could read the message.
However, with this change, messages will be encrypted by default, according to Meta.
Collaborated with governments
The encryption technology used by Meta is based on the protocols Signal and the proprietary Labyrinth.
Meta states that it has worked closely with external experts, researchers and governments to “identify and mitigate risks to ensure that privacy and security go hand in hand”.
The risks of encryption
While Meta emphasizes that encryption can help protect users from hackers, fraudsters and criminals, encryption has been controversial, especially among governments.
According to Reuters the British government urged Meta not to introduce encryption on Instagram and Facebook Messenger without safeguards to protect children from sexual abuse.
Since no third parties can decode the data communicated or stored, companies that offer end-to-end encryption cannot release the texts of their customers’ messages to the authorities.
According to ECPAT this has raised concerns across sectors, particularly in law enforcement and child protection. For example, many who work on sexual crimes against children have expressed their concern that Facebook Messenger will use this type of encryption.
According to information from NCMEC, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, about 12 million of the 18 million tips they received in 2018 regarding online child sexual exploitation came from Messenger. If end-to-end encryption is implemented, these hints will no longer be scrutinized.
Coming to Instagram
It has been reported by The Wall Street Journal that Meta also plans to implement encryption on Instagram, but this is not expected to happen until next year.
The information and text in the article is produced using AI tools. It is then processed and fact-checked by Nyheter24.