WhatsApp Bullish About Encryption, but Fake News Is a Challenge

WhatsApp assures that messages sent on the platform are encrypted but tackling fake news is a big hurdle.

WhatsApp can’t stop raving about its end-to-end encryption for which it has partnered with Open Whispers Systems, using its open source protocol to ensure messages on the app cannot be hacked. They have even confirmed that the messages transmitted between two users is only accessible to them, and not even WhatsApp can read them.

So is there anything new about WhatsApp and its end-to-end encryption setup that we don’t already know? For starters, WhatsApp doesn’t do special workshops talking about its security standards and patterns.

But when I got a chance to meet one of their software engineers, Alan Kao, I was curious to know what they had to offer. As it turned out, we were given an insight into the prowess of the messaging app and its security standards.

The above infographic shows how WhatsApp ensures that none of the users’ messages are stored anywhere, and the content of the message cannot be accessed by anyone.

However, your messages backed-up on iCloud and Google Drive are not end-to-end encrypted – something which is clearly highlighted to a user when they attempt to do that.

Any message not received, is kept in an encrypted mode for 30 days, before getting deleted.

Fake News Is a Problem

This isn’t an Indian thing anymore, but reports of fake news being spread across the world have increased in recent times. Much of the propaganda is spread via WhatsApp groups through forwarded messages on the platform.

And the problem – WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption doesn’t allow it to read the contents of the message – to prevent such issues. Kao reiterated this aspect, following up on what Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp, had said during his recent visit to India.

Fake news is a complex problem and with our end-to-end encryption in place, it is hard to differentiate between the real and the fake news.

Alan Kao, Software Engineer, WhatsApp

So, how does WhatsApp plan on curbing the extent of such dangerous actions? To which, Kao was a bit hesitant, saying that WhatsApp is looking at different ways to tweak its product.

Does that mean lowering the encryption standards? Definitely not an option, he stressed.

For now, the steps undertaken by WhatsApp to tackle fake news involve educating users and putting self-regulations in place. Evidently, these measures haven’t worked to a great effect till date, so let’s hope WhatsApp works out a foolproof way to get rid of it once and for all.

Data Sharing Concerns

WhatsApp shares data with Facebook and with respect to this matter, we’ve only got this communication from them till date.

Also Read: Why, WhatsApp, Why! App to Share User Data With Facebook

As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from and shares information with this family of companies. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customise, support and market our services and their offerings.

WhatsApp spokesperson 

We quizzed Kao to reveal more on the subject, and this is what WhatsApp shares with Facebook.

• Name of the user
• Mobile number
• Phone brand
• Type of mobile OS running on the device

Kao also talked about Whatsapp’s role with Facebook when it comes to getting government request for user data, which happens once every six months. But again, end-to-end encryption ensures none of that gets compromised.

He ended the session stating that WhatsApp on Web is merely an extension of the mobile app, ie any message sent is fully encrypted.

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