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Slight nitpick I know but decrypt here is the not quite the right word. The communications are still encrypted in flight but they are necessarily decrypted (by

Slight nitpick I know but decrypt here is the not quite the right word. The communications are still encrypted in flight but they are necessarily decrypted (by WhatsApp) on the end (your device). This unencrypted file is then provided to drive if you select back up with Google drive in WhatsApp. I'm in two minds about this one. I'm not really a fan of Google but realistically we're talking about backing up messages from a Facebook app. It is also possible to opt out and I know non technical people who have done so on the basis they don't want "more Google".

Springtime 5y ago
> This unencrypted file is then provided to drive if you select back up with Google drive in WhatsApp. And in terms of the grandparent's point about the public not being notified for 5 years, perhaps not by Google is accurate, though it was raised by Telegram's founder in response to Snowden's recommendation of WA back in 2016 [1] and covered elsewhere [2]. Snowden was rather dismissive of the relevant point about this, which always puzzled me. [1] https://twitter.com/durov/status/778618631060066304 https://twitter.com/durov/status/778618631060066304 [2] https://web.archive.org/web/20170729003715/https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-security-threats-whatsapp-users-need-know/ https://web.archive.org/web/20170729003715/https://www.makeu...
matheusmoreira 5y ago
> This unencrypted file is then provided to drive if you select back up with Google drive in WhatsApp. Why can't they just encrypt the data?! It makes no sense. I manually back up my messages because of this. After some time WhatsApp will start nagging me to enable cloud backups. I suppose this fits into the "annoy users until they give up their privacy" theme in the litigation document.
- lozenge 5y ago
  Encrypt it with what key? WhatsApp doesn't have passwords, it's fully based on phone number verification. Do you want WhatsApp to hold the key for you? Or prompt you to create a key which they won't be able to recover?
  - matheusmoreira 5y ago
    > Or prompt you to create a key which they won't be able to recover? Yes. I have a YubiKey I could use for this.

Springtime 5y ago

> This unencrypted file is then provided to drive if you select back up with Google drive in WhatsApp. And in terms of the grandparent's point about the public not being notified for 5 years, perhaps not by Google is accurate, though it was raised by Telegram's founder in response to Snowden's recommendation of WA back in 2016 [1] and covered elsewhere [2]. Snowden was rather dismissive of the relevant point about this, which always puzzled me. [1] https://twitter.com/durov/status/778618631060066304 https://twitter.com/durov/status/778618631060066304 [2] https://web.archive.org/web/20170729003715/https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-security-threats-whatsapp-users-need-know/ https://web.archive.org/web/20170729003715/https://www.makeu...

matheusmoreira 5y ago

> This unencrypted file is then provided to drive if you select back up with Google drive in WhatsApp. Why can't they just encrypt the data?! It makes no sense. I manually back up my messages because of this. After some time WhatsApp will start nagging me to enable cloud backups. I suppose this fits into the "annoy users until they give up their privacy" theme in the litigation document.

lozenge 5y ago
Encrypt it with what key? WhatsApp doesn't have passwords, it's fully based on phone number verification. Do you want WhatsApp to hold the key for you? Or prompt you to create a key which they won't be able to recover?
- matheusmoreira 5y ago
  > Or prompt you to create a key which they won't be able to recover? Yes. I have a YubiKey I could use for this.