According to the expert, the WhatsApp controversy has diverted attention to “a new and serious problem” that may convince you not to use Messenger, its sister platform.
WhatsApp’s reaction to the controversy over its new terms and conditions, which it was forced to delay until May, should serve as a “severe warning” to the 1.3 billion Facebook Messenger users, says a cybersecurity expert. writing for Forbes magazine.
“Yes, the collection of Messenger data is significantly more alarming than that of WhatsApp,” says Zak Doffman, executive director of Digital Barriers, in an article published on January 16, 2021 in the US, explaining why he should leave Facebook Messenger.
“We all know that Facebook lives on our data, so we pay for their supposedly free services. But there must be a limit. If we are in a position where Facebook says “I will keep everything I can” and we accept, what does that say about us and the value we place on our own privacy, “Doffman asks.
According to a review, due to an unfortunate series of events (poorly managed public relations and very poor communication), the WhatsApp disagreement that has caused thousands of users to migrate to Signal or Telegram these days, has seriously distracted attention which is the invasion Facebook Messenger privacy policy.
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He explains that the main defense of WhatsApp when discussing its privacy policies is that it cannot see private messages. But if you’re a Messenger user, be warned, you’re not so lucky.
The WhatsApp application makes several updates and changes to its platform.
“Facebook acknowledges that it monitors content sent in private messages between users. And Facebook, without a doubt, shares all its metadata, another request that WhatsApp has questioned by its own users and metadata, “he said in his article.
“The perfect illustration of Facebook Messenger’s disrespect for privacy” came to light when cybersecurity researchers Tommy Mysk and Talal Haj Bakr revealed a year ago that the app “downloads private attachments sent between users on its own servers.” as well as links to shared files and websites. The problem of accessing Messenger to your private information is easy to solve, that’s why it’s about end-to-end encryption, “says Doffman, suggesting that what doesn’t exist is willpower.
Unlike WhatsApp, end-to-end encryption in Messenger only accepts private messages between two people, not in groups, and is not enabled by default. When the option is selected, Facebook stops searching for messages and downloading links and attachments.
“This lack of end-to-end encryption is what makes Messenger useless to me. This should be the default for any messaging platform you use. Facebook itself has warned of the risks involved in the lack of this type of encryption, and WhatsApp deserves excellent recognition for having universal access, making end-to-end encryption available to 2 billion users, ”says Doffman.
End-to-end encryption should not be taken for granted, according to the expert: the fact that we can call and send messages from anywhere in the world, safely by government network probes and bad actors, is a great advantage. “One of the ironies of the WhatsApp reaction is that users are leaving this application, which is end-to-end encrypted by default, by Telegram, which it is not,” he says.
This, he says, puts Facebook’s practices back in the spotlight and for which he believes users should move to another alternative. Remember that in 2019, “Mark Zuckerberg argued that private messaging will become the new normal, replacing the social need to share everything, everywhere. This followed early reports of Facebook’s plans to integrate WhatsApp with Messenger and Instagram DM, creating a messaging giant that serves nearly 3 billion users. “
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At the time, there were reports that Messenger would be encrypted end-to-end, a major improvement. “But two years later, we haven’t seen any tangible progress, banning secret conversations, missing messages and some WhatsApp beta codes that suggest a developing messaging gateway. However, what we have seen is the beginning of this integration, starting with Messenger and Instagram, with no security improvements in sight, ”he says.
He noted that Facebook said last year that it remained “very committed to making Messenger encrypted end-to-end by default.” In fact, Facebook’s Jay Sullivan assured the Senate committee in 2019 that “people should be able to communicate safely and privately with friends and loved ones without anyone, including Facebook, by listening to or monitoring their conversations.”
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He also said that users should be able to send medical and financial information “with the confidence that they will not fall into the hands of identity thieves or other malicious people.” But, warns the expert, Messenger monitors content, and “health and fitness”, “sensitive information” and “financial information” are among the mass of user data fields that it admits to collecting through its Messenger platform.
Adding end-to-end encryption would be an advantage for Messenger, as it would prevent monitoring, collection and processing of content, although it would not protect metadata. “But WhatsApp’s reaction has made millions of people realize that encrypting content alone is not enough.”
Doffman states that “Facebook’s data practices are now visible to everyone, not buried in the imprint of privacy policy. We can all see the ridiculous difference between Messenger and other platforms, though we still don’t understand how this metadata is monetized and how it’s used to target ads. “
The expert advises you: “If you’re still on Messenger or using direct Instagram messages for anything other than interacting with the companies you shop with or casual contacts, then it’s time to switch. WhatsApp is still the easiest option, given its size – all your friends and family are potential users. For a safer option, run Signal in parallel. It will be more useful as more contacts join. “
The Signal messaging app is among the top downloads on Apple Store and Google Play platforms in several countries, after WhatsApp asked nearly two billion users on January 7, 2021 to accept new terms that will allow it to share more information with Facebook. Photography / AFP
It states that “with WhatsApp and Signal running in parallel, you will be covered in terms of security and privacy. And he adds that, over time, we will end up using Signal as the default option, but for that, all contacts must use it as well.
It concludes by suggesting to users that the ideal is “to move all your chats and groups from Facebook Messenger to WhatsApp or Signal.
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