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The new feature raises questions about the future of privacy.
On the cusp of one of the biggest updates in recent years, WhatsApp is sounding the alarm, warning 2 billion users worldwide of a serious security threat and urging them to exercise caution. The popular messenger service is facing an unprecedented challenge that could jeopardize the privacy of millions of people.
In accordance with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union, WhatsApp must open access to its platform for third-party messengers. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, revealed the technical details of the implementation of this initiative. However, the update identified a serious flaw that could compromise the security of messaging for users.
WhatsApp promises to maintain end-to-end encryption and other privacy guarantees "as much as possible" while supporting interaction with third-party apps. End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and receiver have access to the contents of messages.
However, DMA requires that cross-platform messaging be enabled, such as between Signal and WhatsApp. This goes against the fundamental principle of end-to-end encryption, which is the basis for ensuring the confidentiality of correspondence. Although Meta suggests that third-party platforms use the Signal encryption protocol to maximize security, this step does not completely solve the problem. When interacting with other messengers, it is impossible to maintain the same level of security, which threatens the privacy of users.
WhatsApp warns that without control over both clients (sender and recipient), it is impossible to guarantee the security of transmitted messages, making it impossible to provide end-to-end encryption guarantees when interacting with third-party applications.
Thus, messaging with third-party apps is fraught with security risks. For example, if a user's device or a third-party app is compromised, encrypted messages may leak. Users will have to trust the security of third-party applications, which is not always justified.
WhatsApp encourages users to make an informed choice about messaging using third-party apps, recommending that you activate this feature only if necessary.
As a result, despite the attractiveness of innovations, in order to maintain a high level of privacy, it is recommended to adhere to the use of separate messengers with reliable end-to-end encryption.
On the cusp of one of the biggest updates in recent years, WhatsApp is sounding the alarm, warning 2 billion users worldwide of a serious security threat and urging them to exercise caution. The popular messenger service is facing an unprecedented challenge that could jeopardize the privacy of millions of people.
In accordance with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union, WhatsApp must open access to its platform for third-party messengers. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, revealed the technical details of the implementation of this initiative. However, the update identified a serious flaw that could compromise the security of messaging for users.
WhatsApp promises to maintain end-to-end encryption and other privacy guarantees "as much as possible" while supporting interaction with third-party apps. End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and receiver have access to the contents of messages.
However, DMA requires that cross-platform messaging be enabled, such as between Signal and WhatsApp. This goes against the fundamental principle of end-to-end encryption, which is the basis for ensuring the confidentiality of correspondence. Although Meta suggests that third-party platforms use the Signal encryption protocol to maximize security, this step does not completely solve the problem. When interacting with other messengers, it is impossible to maintain the same level of security, which threatens the privacy of users.
WhatsApp warns that without control over both clients (sender and recipient), it is impossible to guarantee the security of transmitted messages, making it impossible to provide end-to-end encryption guarantees when interacting with third-party applications.
Thus, messaging with third-party apps is fraught with security risks. For example, if a user's device or a third-party app is compromised, encrypted messages may leak. Users will have to trust the security of third-party applications, which is not always justified.
WhatsApp encourages users to make an informed choice about messaging using third-party apps, recommending that you activate this feature only if necessary.
As a result, despite the attractiveness of innovations, in order to maintain a high level of privacy, it is recommended to adhere to the use of separate messengers with reliable end-to-end encryption.
