Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2016-04-06

WhatsApp has bolstered the default encryption settings for more than a billion users so that all messages will now be accessible only to the sender and recipient.

The popular service owned by Facebook began applying “end-to-end” encryption to standard messages sent on Android smartphones in 2014.

It says it’s now using a powerful form of encryption to protect the security of photos, videos, group chats and voice calls in addition to the text messages sent by more than a billion users around the globe.

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After gradually expanding to other formats, WhatsApp confirmed yesterday that the encryption now works with all forms of communication on its app for Android phones, Apple’s iPhones and other devices.

Encryption has become a hotly debated subject, with US authorities warning that criminals and armed groups can use it to hide their tracks.

WhatsApp co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton says that WhatsApp has always prioritised making data and communication as secure as possible.

“And today, we’re proud to announce that we’ve completed a technological development that makes WhatsApp a leader in protecting your private communication: full end-to-end encryption.”

This means that “when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to,” the statement said.

“No one can see inside that message. Not cyber criminals. Not hackers. Not even us.”

Source: Agencies & Aljazeera

Twitter: @thedabhelia