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12/22/2015 Which Messaging Apps Are Encrypted? | Re/code
http://recode.net/2015/12/21/isyourmessagingappencrypted/ 1/3
http://on.recode.net/1k8S658
TrendingGoogle, Facebook Have Most Popular Phone Apps – Nielsen
Is Your Messaging App Encrypted?MOBILE
The debate over encryption — and whether or not companies can read yourprivate messages — is heating up for tech firms.
Presidential hopefuls are arguing about it. Officials like FBI Director JamesComey have publicly criticized tech companies for their encryption practices.Facebookowned WhatsApp was temporarily banned in Brazil last week forfailing to hand over user info it claims it didn’t have.
Almost all messaging companies encrypt messages en route between auser’s device and company servers, where a company could then read them ifneeded. The problem arises, though, when messages are endtoend encrypted,which means they are only readable on the sender’s and receiver’s devices. Thatmeans the messaging companies can’t read them. Companies like Apple offer thislevel of security to satisfy users looking for total privacy. Law enforcement officialshate it because it poses a serious security threat.
Who can read your private messages? We checked in with some of the mostpopular messaging companies out there, and here’s what we found.
These Companies Can’t Read Your Messages
Related
SecurityWhy Is the FBI Whining About Encryption?By Kurt Wagner and Noah Kulwin,
12/22/2015 Which Messaging Apps Are Encrypted? | Re/code
http://recode.net/2015/12/21/isyourmessagingappencrypted/ 2/3
Apple: Apple’s iMessages are endtoend encrypted, which means they canonly be read on users’ phones and the company can’t read them. There’s acaveat here, though. If you back up your messages in iCloud, then Apple canread them and could be forced to hand them over to authorities if provided withan appropriate warrant.
WhatsApp*: WhatsApp gets an asterisk here because while it’s almost donerolling out endtoend encryption to all of its users, it’s not officially there yet.Either way, the company claims that it does not store messages on its servers,which means it can’t hand over messages if approached by law enforcementofficials. (This is what got WhatsApp into trouble in Brazil.)
Telegram**: Telegram messages can be totally private if you want them tobe. The company offers endtoend encryption if users turn on the app’s “secretchat” feature and thus can’t read those user messages. Regular messages arestored on Telegram’s servers. The app benefited immensely from Brazil’stemporary WhatsApp ban. Telegram claims that it added 5.7 million new userson the day WhatsApp was blocked.
Signal: Owned by Open Whisper Systems, Signal is also endtoendencrypted. The company explicitly states on its website that it “does not haveaccess to the contents of any messages sent by Signal users.”
These Companies Can Read Your MessagesKik*: Kik also gets an asterisk here. Messages are not endtoend encrypted,
so the company can theoretically read them. But Kik claims it deletes usermessages from its servers as soon as they’re delivered to a user’s device. Thatmeans it wouldn’t be able to share your messages with authorities if requested,and the length of time during which it could read your messages is extremelyshort.
Facebook (Messenger and Instagram): Both Facebook Messenger andFacebookowned Instagram encrypt messages only when they are en routebetween a user’s device and company servers where they are stored. This meansFacebook might have to hand over private messages if required by law.
12/22/2015 Which Messaging Apps Are Encrypted? | Re/code
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Google: Messages sent via Google Hangouts are also encrypted en routeand even on the company’s servers, but Google can still read them if needed.Encrypting the messages while on Google servers is intended to keep others fromjacking in and reading them, but Google itself has the encryption key. This meansGoogle might have to hand over private messages if required by law.
Snapchat: Like Google, Snapchat messages are encrypted while at rest onSnapchat’s servers (though the company has the encryption key if needed).Snaps are deleted from the servers as soon as they’re opened by the intendedrecipients, and Snapchat claims these delivered messages “typically cannot beretrieved from Snapchat’s servers by anyone, for any reason.” But unopenedSnaps are kept on the servers for 30 days before being deleted. That meansSnapchat might have to hand over unopened, private messages if required bylaw.
Twitter: Direct messages on Twitter are not endtoend encrypted. Thecompany might have to hand over private messages if required by law.
Skype: Microsoftowned Skype does not offer endtoend encryption forinstant messages. They are stored on Skype’s servers for a “limited time,” whichmeans Skype might have to hand over private messages if required by law.
We’ll continue to add to this list as we hear back from more companies.
**The Telegram section was updated to include distinction that endtoendencryption is only available for the app’s “secret chats.”
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