WhatsApp is displaying a notice to some users in Spain where we read the following: “Messages sent to this group are now secure with end-to-end encryption” in the groups, or “Calls and messages sent to this chat are now secure with end-to-end encryption” in individual conversations, but what does it mean? Does this mean I touched something? The answer is no, it is not anything strange, nor have you received an attack or anything like that. Basically, WhatsApp is letting its users know that the communications we make between us and our contacts are fully protected. That is, there is no way that another person can intercept our WhatsApps; What’s more, not even WhatsApp itself is capable of deciphering said content. This message alerts us that we have WhatsApp with end-to-end encryption, in a beta of the app, which is why it did not take us by surprise. In any case, this encryption method is not new, because although it was only now that WhatsApp made it publicly known, it had already been implemented for quite some time. Below we explain it in more depth, without going into technical details so that we all understand it.
WhatsApp with end-to-end encryption, greater security in our chats
So, if we have received this curious notice when sending a message, whether in a group or in an individual chat, it means that we are already operating under a WhatsApp with end-to-end encryption, which translates into a iron safety in our day-to-day communications through the app. Of course, there will be no need to ‘activate’ anything or carry out any process; This works in the background so we don’t have to worry about things like “Will I have protection activated?” or actions like that. In fact, if we have not received that message, that is when we should be worried and look to see if we have any updates available in either the App Store or Google Play.
On the other hand, not only are WhatsApp chats end-to-end encrypted, but WhatsApp calls too They are protected so that third parties cannot listen to them. Likewise, messages or calls are stored on WhatsApp servers, so they do not keep any copies of the conversations; The only backup copies that exist are the local ones that we can schedule ourselves in the WhatsApp settings.
One of the main characteristics of this WhatsApp movement is that, while other apps only encrypt the messages between you and the app server, End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and receiver be the ones who read the message, making its interception impossible. As WhatsApp explains, this is because “your messages are secure with a lock and only you and the recipient have the code to open it”; In addition, each message has a different “lock”, so security is even greater.
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