For open source messengers, you can check whether they actually encrypt your messages and whether the server has access to your encryption keys but what about WhatsApp? Since it’s not open source, you can’t be sure that the encryption keys aren’t sent to the server, right? Has there been a case where a government was able to access WhatsApp chats without reading them from the phone itself?
I mean, they definitely use end to end encryption. The problem is that they’ve done nothing would convince people they’re not harvesting the content of the messages in the app before it’s encrypted and sent. And there is a long history of them handing over decrypted information to law enforcement upon request, without warrant.
I assumed it was a more solid case than just that it’s technically possible. I was hoping for cases where we know they’ve done it.
Does that include message content though? That’s sorta the crux of what we’re talking about. Metadata for sure, but whether we know that they can read our message content, that’s afaik still unclear.
Yes, what’s app messaging specifically has a long history under Facebook of giving away user data like candy to anyone who wants it, including the content of private messages. It’s been shown repeatedly and is common knowledge yet they still have yet to do anything to prevent it. this here is a declassified internal document from the FBI highlighting what they have access to and what level of legal request they need for what. Notably message content requires no legal request to access
I think that photo goes against the claim that WhatsApp can decrypt or otherwise easily get access to message content
Also was that before the full encryption of the backups? Someone else posted a study about their backup encryption where they concluded that it at least seemed secure (with the caveat of it being a proprietary app).