Unsurprisingly, Facebook’s messaging apps won’t have true end-to-end encryption, with messages scanned before being encrypted.
In Facebook’s vision, the actual end-to-end encryption client itself such as WhatsApp will include embedded content moderation and blacklist filtering algorithms. These algorithms will be continually updated from a central cloud service, but will run locally on the user’s device, scanning each cleartext message before it is sent and each encrypted message after it is decrypted.
The company even noted that when it detects violations it will need to quietly stream a copy of the formerly encrypted content back to its central servers to analyze further, even if the user objects, acting as true wiretapping service.
Unlike Forbes‘ clickbait headline, the “encryption debate” certainly isn’t over or dead. Now it’s about trying to convince the government that encryption backdoors don’t work. There are also plenty of Facebook alternatives.
Check It Out: Facebook Plans Don’t Include End-to-End Encryption
Andrew:
I’m surprised that you seem to quibble with FB’s policy here.
In medicine, we have a concept called ‘continuity of care’. It signifies having one team continually oversee your healthcare needs, thus ensuring not only a common standard but preventing possible lapses and gaps in your healthcare needs.
FB is simply ensuring their policy of ‘continuity of carelessness’, and preventing any lapses in an absence of due diligence. After all, how else could our data be so readily compromised and non-consensually distributed to third party actors if it was end-to-end encrypted?
We should all take solace in FB’s consistency.
“FB is simply ensuring their policy of ‘continuity of carelessness’, ”
Good one!