Whatsapp gets the better of snooping

The popular messaging service WhatsApp has introduced "end to end encryption" to protect the privacy of its users, which include millions in the UAE.
End-to-end encryption, essentially, means that messages are secured with a lock, for which only the recipient has the necessary key. Each message has a unique lock and key, and the entire encryption and decryption process takes place automatically without any need to change settings or set up secret chats.
"The idea is simple: when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to. No one can see inside that message. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us," Whatsapp said in a blog chance introducing the change. "End-to-end encryption helps make communication via WhatsApp private - sort of like a face-to-face conversation."
The encryption feature is enabled by default in Whatsapp, meaning that - as long as both parties in the conversation are using the latest version of the service - all chats are encrypted.
Pop-up message
New messages will likely now include a pop-up message saying that "messages you send to this chat and calls are now secured with end-to-end encryption. Tap for more info."
If one taps the message, a message pops up explaining the encryption process, and allowing users to verify encryption. If a user chooses to verify, they are taken to a page with a QR code and a string of 60 numbers. If the recipient is nearby, the QR code can be scanned and a match verified. If not, the numbers can be compared. If the codes match, a green check appears, meaning that the message is encrypted.
The blog post's authors, Whatsapp founders Jan Koum and Brian Action, noted that privacy is more important than ever in today's digital age.
"We live in a world where more of our data is digitised than ever before. Every day we see stories about sensitive records being improperly accessed or stolen. And if nothing is done, more of people's digital information and communication will be vulnerable to attack in the years to come," the post reads. "Fortunately, end-to-end encryption protects us from these vulnerabilities."
Koum - who grew up in Kiev, Ukraine - noted that for him, the desire to protect people's privacy is "personal".
"I grew up in the USSR during communist rule and the fact that people couldn't speak freely is one of the reasons my family moved to the United States," he wrote in the post. Moves by technology firms to implement encryption - for which the companies themselves don't have the necessary keys - have been met with criticism by law enforcement bodies, claiming this creates opportunities for criminals and others.
Apple, for example, has faced efforts by American officials to compel the company to help break into encrypted iPhones. Whatsapp is reportedly involved in a similar court battle, and Other reports say WhatsApp and another application called Telegram were used by the perpetrators of the November 13 Paris attacks that left 130 people dead.
While legislation to require companies to retain encryption keys are being discussed in the US, UK and France, the moves have been met with stern opposition from technology companies and activists who claim these vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers and repressive governments and threaten privacy.
Facebook in 2014 announced that it was acquiring WhatsApp for $19 billion in stock and cash.
- bernd@khaleejtimes.com