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WhatsApp data isn't encrypted

4 points by jhabdas 8y ago

My friend in Indonesia couldn't open WA yesterday. A modal kept appearing when she opened the app telling her she had to back up her data with Google and store it unencrypted in their cloud. There was no way for her to dismiss this modal and no other backup options presented. If she chooses to backup with Google does Google now have the right to view her private conversations? What is the risk Google falls out of favor, security lapses and her data becomes available on the Darknet?

Cypher 8y ago
as time goes on the probability increases towards 1
- jhabdas 8y ago
  You're confirming my bias and I like it.
mtgx 8y ago
I don't know about that particular issue, but we already know WhatsApp can now replace end-to-end encryption with their own encryption key, so they can decrypt convos at will. Many on HN defended this move as a "not a big deal" and not a "real backdoor". But they'll regret it soon, when they'll learn Facebook very much intended it to be an insidious backdoor: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-design-feature-encrypted-messages https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-... We also know that both of its founders left because they had a conflict with the Facebook leadership about crippling end-to-end encryption. So if Facebook hasn't gotten rid of end-to-end encryption yet, it will very soon. You should be moving to Signal, Riot, or maybe even Wire ASAP. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/whatsapp-founder-plans-to-leave-after-broad-clashes-with-parent-facebook/2018/04/30/49448dd2-4ca9-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/whatsapp-fou...
gus_massa 8y ago
WhatApp is owned by Facebook. Google the main competitor of Facebook. So a new strong mandatory integration of WhatsApp with the Google cloud is very very strange. Do you have an screenshot? May it be phishing attack? [Anyway, I'm pessimistic and I always assume that all "private" online conversation will be leaked sooner or later, just assume that they are "delayed-public".]
- jhabdas 8y ago
  Sorry, didn't get a screenshot of it. But it's talked about on the Telegram blog as one of the privacy pitfalls of WA. Just hadn't actually seen it until recently and it freaked me out a little there was no other way for my friend to continue using the app.

4 points by jhabdas 8y ago

Cypher 8y ago

as time goes on the probability increases towards 1

jhabdas 8y ago
You're confirming my bias and I like it.

mtgx 8y ago

I don't know about that particular issue, but we already know WhatsApp can now replace end-to-end encryption with their own encryption key, so they can decrypt convos at will. Many on HN defended this move as a "not a big deal" and not a "real backdoor". But they'll regret it soon, when they'll learn Facebook very much intended it to be an insidious backdoor: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-design-feature-encrypted-messages https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-... We also know that both of its founders left because they had a conflict with the Facebook leadership about crippling end-to-end encryption. So if Facebook hasn't gotten rid of end-to-end encryption yet, it will very soon. You should be moving to Signal, Riot, or maybe even Wire ASAP. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/whatsapp-founder-plans-to-leave-after-broad-clashes-with-parent-facebook/2018/04/30/49448dd2-4ca9-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/whatsapp-fou...

gus_massa 8y ago

WhatApp is owned by Facebook. Google the main competitor of Facebook. So a new strong mandatory integration of WhatsApp with the Google cloud is very very strange. Do you have an screenshot? May it be phishing attack? [Anyway, I'm pessimistic and I always assume that all "private" online conversation will be leaked sooner or later, just assume that they are "delayed-public".]

jhabdas 8y ago
Sorry, didn't get a screenshot of it. But it's talked about on the Telegram blog as one of the privacy pitfalls of WA. Just hadn't actually seen it until recently and it freaked me out a little there was no other way for my friend to continue using the app.