In the past six weeks or so, the FBI and Apple have engaged in a debate about privacy and security when Apple refused to unlock the iPhone of a mass shooter.
There have always been long endless debates between security and law enforcement agencies and social media companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter e.t.c. The main subject usually is about user data and its privacy.
Yesterday, the Facebook owned giant messaging service announced that all Whatsapp interactions will be fully encrypted. I will ignore all the nerdy details and explain this as simply as I can.
A dictionary definition of Encryption is: the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only authorized parties can read it.
This basically means that when you send a message to someone or to a group of people, the only person who can read it is the person it is sent to. No one else can see inside that message. Not cyber criminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes.Not even the Whatsapp staff can decrypt or see the messages sent and received over the network.
This works for all Whatsapp interaction; messages, images, videos, phone calls and voice messages. The system is now fully encrypted. The communication on Whatsapp is now as private as a face to face conversation.
It works on the latest version of Whatsapp on Apple, Android, Windows Phone or any other Nokia or device that can run the latest version of Whatsapp.
This move by Whatsapp to enable its more than a billion users to communicate FREELY with their friends, family and colleagues has drawn mixed reactions. Tell us how you feel about this development in the comments section below.
