back to article WhatsApp's got your back(ups) with encryption for stored messages

Facebook's WhatsApp on Thursday began a global rollout of end-to-end (E2E) encryption for message backups, which offers Android and iOS users with the ability to protect WhatsApp messages stored in Google Drive and Apple iCloud. WhatsApp claims no other similarly large global messaging service provides E2E encryption for users …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ah......end-to-end encryption.....criminals, "think of the children"....and so on.....

    Quote: "...global rollout of end-to-end (E2E) encryption..."

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    ....and no mention of the backdoor used by the FBI, the NSA, GCHQ.....and all the others who "don't know" (wink) about "extra features".

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    However, some of us encrypt stuff BEFORE it enters any public channel. Please let other commentards know on El Reg when you figure out what the message below says in plain text! (You have a choice: the encryption might be Blowfish, or IDEA, or maybe a book cipher. Enjoy!)

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    1. JDPower666

      Re: Ah......end-to-end encryption.....criminals, "think of the children"....and so on.....

      Seriously dude? ANOTHER dick pic!

      1. I am David Jones
        Meh

        Re: Ah......end-to-end encryption.....criminals, "think of the children"....and so on.....

        Actually the cleartext is “meh”.

    2. chroot
      Megaphone

      Re: Ah......end-to-end encryption.....criminals, "think of the children"....and so on.....

      Nooo. You should not post your backup key on the Internet!

  2. jmch Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Eh, what?

    "Last month, the fact that WhatsApp messages exist in a readable form when accessed by users prompted ProPublica to question the integrity of WhatsApp's security"

    I guess WhatsApp security would be absolutely perfect if messages were encrypted all the time, everywhere. On the other hand it's usefuleness as a messaging system might be impacted a tad!

    1. yetanotheraoc Silver badge

      Re: Eh, what?

      My thought exactly. Clicking on the link though showed ProPublica's criticism was different from "exist in a readable form". It was just an extremely poor paraphrase by El Reg.

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