{"id":937,"date":"2016-06-04T07:58:53","date_gmt":"2016-06-04T07:58:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/?p=937"},"modified":"2024-12-23T07:57:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T07:57:18","slug":"is-facebook-making-end-to-end-encryption-on-messenger-opt-in-only","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/is-facebook-making-end-to-end-encryption-on-messenger-opt-in-only-937\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Facebook making end-to-end encryption on Messenger opt-in only?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Is<\/a><\/p>\n

Facebook\u2019s native chat is due to be silenced: Facebook\u2019s reportedly going to kill it off, forcing users to instead use Messenger.<\/p>\n

Rumor has it that Facebook Messenger will also offer the option of end-to-end encryption sometime in the next few months.<\/p>\n

The Guardian, relying on input from three unnamed sources close to the project, earlier this week reported the end-to-end encryption news. Facebook hasn\u2019t confirmed it, declining to comment on rumors or speculation.<\/p>\n

The timing of these two things isn\u2019t clear, but it would make sense for them to coincide \u2013 kill the native chat app just as a more privacy-protecting version of Messenger is ready to pull users in.<\/p>\n

Ars Technica reports that some users are already getting pushed off the mobile version of Facebook\u2019s native chat and onto the free, dedicated Messenger app.<\/p>\n

Users of the regular Facebook mobile app were evicted a while ago. Now, it\u2019s happening to those who access it via their phones\u2019 web browsers or via third-party apps such as Tinfoil or Metal, Ars reports.<\/p>\n

Some Android users are even being booted off chat automatically, shunted over to Google\u2019s Play store to download Messenger when they try to check out their messages on the mobile site.<\/p>\n

End-to-end encryption would shield conversations from all but the sender and receiver. That includes the prying eyes of both government surveillance outfits or from tech companies themselves.<\/p>\n

The tradeoff: if Facebook can\u2019t see conversations or get at users\u2019 personal data, it can\u2019t use artificial intelligence (AI) to chime in and do helpful things.<\/p>\n

And, as we reported yesterday, Facebook\u2019s on track to do a lot more language processing to figure out, for example, who\u2019s messaging about needing a ride and therefore might want to have an Uber link pop up.<\/p>\n

End-to-end encryption in Messenger would also put it on par with other encrypted messaging apps, including Apple iMessage, WhatsApp and Google\u2019s new Allo messaging app.<\/p>\n

Both Facebook and Google are trying to balance users\u2019 demands for secure messaging with their thirst for services enhanced by the use of users\u2019 personal data. Their solution: offer the end-to-end encryption as an opt-in feature.<\/p>\n

As you might expect, some users are displeased with the notion of being forced onto Messenger, while some privacy experts are displeased with the idea that the speculated end-to-end encryption is opt-in rather than default.<\/p>\n

The Guardian quoted Kenneth White, a security researcher and co-director of the Open Crypto Audit Project, which tests the security of encryption software:<\/p>\n

\"Is<\/p>\n

The timing on killing native chat and releasing the Messenger crypto feature isn\u2019t known, but The Register reports that it\u2019s already been released for Windows 10 Mobile users.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Facebook\u2019s native chat is due to be silenced: Facebook\u2019s reportedly going to kill it off, forcing users to instead use Messenger. Rumor has it that Facebook Messenger will also offer the option of end-to-end encryption sometime in the next few months. The Guardian, relying on input from three unnamed sources close to the project, earlier … Continue reading Is Facebook making end-to-end encryption on Messenger opt-in only?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[118,303,360],"class_list":["post-937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-end-to-end-encryption","tag-facebook","tag-messenger"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=937"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":942,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/937\/revisions\/942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dogoodsoft.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}