The ubiquity of instant messaging services on mobile devices and their use of\nend-to-end encryption in safeguarding the privacy of their users have become\na concern for some governments. WhatsApp messaging service has emerged\nas the most popular messaging app on mobile devices today. It uses end-to-end\nencryption which makes government and secret services efforts to combat organized\ncrime, terrorists, and child pornographers technically impossible.\nGovernments would like a ââ?¬Å?backdoorââ?¬Â into such apps, to use in accessing\nmessages and have emphasized that they will only use the ââ?¬Å?backdoorââ?¬Â if there\nis a credible threat to national security. Users of WhatsApp have however, argued\nagainst a ââ?¬Å?backdoorââ?¬Â; they claim a ââ?¬Å?backdoorââ?¬Â would not only be an infringement\nof their privacy, but that hackers could also take advantage of it. In\nlight of this security and privacy conflict between the end users of WhatsApp\nand governmentââ?¬â?¢s need to access messages in order to thwart potential terror\nattacks, this paper presents the advantages of maintaining E2EE in WhatsApp\nand why governments should not be allowed a ââ?¬Å?backdoorââ?¬Â to access usersââ?¬â?¢\nmessages. This research presents the benefits encryption has on consumer security\nand privacy, and also on the challenges it poses to public safety and national\nsecurity.
Loading....