Meta announced that it will soon add end-to-end encryption by default to its Facebook Messenger platform, with “some people” testing already underway.
End-to-end encrypted messages can now be enabled individually for each chat, but the company is poised to do so on a larger scale.
“Calls are now stored on your device,” says Sara Su, Meta Trust’s director of product management, whose company is looking for a solution to “backup these messages in case you lose your phone or want to restore your message history to a new, supported device” with a secure storage.
Encryption of Facebook Messenger
Facebook’s messaging platform appears to be under pressure to increase security, which has become the norm in recent years with apps like Signal setting the benchmark. Own WhatsApp Meta also supports encrypted messages for a long time.
Along with Facebook-based messaging, Meta is also testing end-to-end encryption in direct messages sent by Instagram.
End-to-end encryption has become the preferred default by many thanks to security improvements: while hackers can still gain unwanted access to some extent, sensitive data such as locations is much more difficult to crack.
That said, there are concerns that encryption could get in the way of law enforcement as even Meta won’t be able to access your conversations as part of its new proposals.
Moving on, Meta suggested encrypted connections that, coupled with messages, could see the company expand its channels of communication to the corporate world – meaning further announcements of encrypted messages and calls expected in 2023.
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