Facebook Messenger steals its flagship feature from WhatsApp

Published on 08/12/2022 at 19:05

–
–

After WhatsApp, Meta tackles the security of discussions conducted via Facebook Messenger. Many features are being tested, and timing is important.

Meta clearly has a lot to do with the personal data of users of its various services. It will not have escaped anyone that WhatsApp, one of the group’s instant messaging apps, has recently received regular updates aimed at protecting the privacy of those who use it.

The last days, it was Facebook Messenger that found itself targeted by privacy advocates. The reason is quite tragic : the social network Facebook is accused of having helped the American police to arrest a 17-year-old young woman who underwent a late abortion in the State of Nebraska. The platform provided private messages to authorities.

If the exchanges made on Facebook Messenger had been encrypted end-to-end by default, as is the case on many instant messaging platforms, their sharing would have been impossible. Timing coincidence or not, Meta today evokes the upcoming arrival of this feature within Facebook Messenger.

WhatsApp Encrypted Backups Come to Facebook Messenger

In a blog post published on August 11Meta announces that it has launched test phases to provide “secure storage on Messenger”. This new feature will allow users to benefit from end-to-end encrypted backups of their trades made on the platform.

But that’s not all, sincein addition to actual backups, all Facebook Messenger chats should automatically get this treatment from 2023. And this proposal is not just about Facebook.

“People want to know that their online conversations with friends and family are private and secure. We work hard to protect your personal messages and calls with default end-to-end encryption on Messenger and Instagram. Today we’re announcing our plans to test a new secure storage feature for your end-to-end encrypted chat backups on Messenger, along with other updates and testing to deliver the best experience on Messenger and Instagram. »

The purpose of Meta is to allow users of Facebook Messenger, and therefore Instagram, to maintain full control over access to their chats. To do this, a unique encryption key will be used to secure access to messages. The user will be prompted to create a six-digit code that will allow him to recover access to his chats and archives even if he changes his smartphone. Without this code, it will simply be impossible to read messages, including for Meta staff.

This modification of the functioning of Facebook Messenger requires a major overhaul of messaging-related infrastructure. This largely explains why Meta does not intend to offer this novelty before 2023 on its various platforms. However, you may see a message that one of your chats is encrypted within the next few months.as the company will gradually expand its random testing among its users over the months.

–

Related

–