With WhatsApp’s new feature anyone can access your chats
30 August, 2018
Though text messaging application WhatsApp’s chats are end-to-end encrypted, a new update has now made it easier for the public to access those chats.
WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption meant that every message we sent is secured and cannot be read by anyone other than the sender and receiver. However, a latest update has made the chat backups to be easily accessed by anyone.
Just recently, WhatsApp and Google teamed up to provide free backups that also came with a drawback that breaks that encryption. Though the chats on the phone are still protected, the backups are not, leading to potentially anyone being able to see the texts and images being sent and received, reported Independent.
WhatsApp warns users to backup chats before it deletes them
However, this bad news is only for Android users since they have Google Play installed on their devices and is signed up by with a Google address. But, the good news is that these backups can be deleted by going to Google Drive and tapping into ‘manage app’ settings.
Moreover, the firm’s help page about the feature makes it clear that backups aren’t protected. It reads, “Important: Media and messages you back up aren’t protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in Google Drive.”
Though backing up chats helps keeping them secure in case of any mishap like losing or breaking of the phone, helping people to restore them on the new one, yet, this feature is more of a trade-off between safety and privacy.
TAG(s):