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The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

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21–30 of 215 posts

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#21
Can anyone point me to where WhatsApp app is actually confirming they are implementing E2E encryption and how?

I couldn't find anything on the oficial web/blog, the single mention on security is this FAQ[1] which is about server/device encryption.

A friend also told me E2E is only available for US users but unfortunatelly I can't confirm this because of the lack of communication from WhatsApp.

[1] https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/en/general/21864047

Edit: fixed typos

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#22

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/us/politics/whatsapp-encry... > The Justice Department and WhatsApp declined to comment. The government officials and others who discussed the dispute did so on condition of anonymity because the wiretap order and all the information associated with it were under seal. The nature of the case was not clear, except that officials said it was not a terrorism investigation. The location…

GnuPG is great, but it is not for real-time messaging. Real-time messaging protocol should have forward secrecy, which OpenPGP can't have because it is not an interactive protocol.

Related: http://www.thoughtcrime.org/blog/gpg-and-me/

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#23

If the government wins any of these court battles, it's only a matter of time until one-way encryption is outlawed. It follows logically that if criminals/terrorists can't use iPhones to securely communicate, then they'll just move on to the next convenient encryption app. The government will continue to order companies to break their one-way encryption until the government realizes they're playing musical chairs and…

Anyone have any insights into why the commonly used guns argument is not good enough for encryption? If we ban guns(encryption), only the criminals will have it. The only thing I can think of is that the majority of people who advocate for encryption are anti-gun, and don't want to give strength to that argument?

I have never understood why the USA anti-gun lobby doesn't go after ammunition rather than guns. Just ban ammunition and a gun just becomes a not so dangerous club.

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#24

If the government wins any of these court battles, it's only a matter of time until one-way encryption is outlawed. It follows logically that if criminals/terrorists can't use iPhones to securely communicate, then they'll just move on to the next convenient encryption app. The government will continue to order companies to break their one-way encryption until the government realizes they're playing musical chairs and…

Anyone have any insights into why the commonly used guns argument is not good enough for encryption? If we ban guns(encryption), only the criminals will have it. The only thing I can think of is that the majority of people who advocate for encryption are anti-gun, and don't want to give strength to that argument?

Insights? None, because I don't think what you said is accurate at all. That's exactly what we're thinking - only outlaws will have it.

I don't know a single gun owner that wouldn't also be an advocate for encryption.

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone have any insights into why the commonly used guns argument is not good enough for encryption? If we ban guns(encryption), only the criminals will have it. The only thing I can think of is that the majority of people who advocate for encryption are anti-gun, and don't want to give strength to that argument?

Well, my perception of the gun lobby is that a big part of the effort is centralized. At least that's my impression after reading the nytimes article. I don't have any insight into the gun lobby so I can't tell whether it is any accurate. http://nytimes.com/2014/01/05/business/media/banished-for-qu... I fear the gun argument is further weakened by the fact that civilians can't have big anti-aircraft guns in their bac…

Your perception is wrong. The gun lobby is crazyily grassroots. The NRA is demonized, but their spending in lobbying is low (their income is relatively low and they have a lot of other elements such as training and certification) and less than the gun control lobby since Bloomberg (and some silicon Valley VCs) began to lobby.

There is only one reason the NRA has influence: members and sympathizers will vote on thier recommendations, they have a lot of members and the NRA will always endorse the most sympathetic candidate to thier cause regardless of party affiliation.

The pro encryption lobby could emulate this. Lobby groups like the eff need more members and crucially need members to vote for who they recommend regardless of the candidates other views ie. vote for Trump if he said he was pro encryption.

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone have any insights into why the commonly used guns argument is not good enough for encryption? If we ban guns(encryption), only the criminals will have it. The only thing I can think of is that the majority of people who advocate for encryption are anti-gun, and don't want to give strength to that argument?

Well, my perception of the gun lobby is that a big part of the effort is centralized. At least that's my impression after reading the nytimes article. I don't have any insight into the gun lobby so I can't tell whether it is any accurate. http://nytimes.com/2014/01/05/business/media/banished-for-qu... I fear the gun argument is further weakened by the fact that civilians can't have big anti-aircraft guns in their bac…

You can certainly buy anti-aircraft guns (there are collectors of these things), but good luck getting your hands on the ammunition required to turn one from an unusual outdoor sculpture into a weapon.

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#28
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://github.com/nylira/prism-break/issues/249#issuecommen... https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/32hexp/a_secret_... Don't use Wickr. Proprietary crypto + an interesting target for NSA because of its popularity among ISIS = probably snake oil and at the very least makes you a target "Career criminals recommend it" isn't a good indicator of security. Two things to consider: 1. Confidential informants exist…

Yeah, I knew a dispensary owner who told me all about Telegram* and how it was "really secure" and how the feds couldn't get any of his messages. He was happy to switch to Signal once I told him a little more.

> telegraph

Telegram?

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#29
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I knew a dispensary owner who told me all about Telegram* and how it was "really secure" and how the feds couldn't get any of his messages. He was happy to switch to Signal once I told him a little more.

> telegraph Telegram?

corrected, thanks

Re: The Next Front in the New Crypto Wars: WhatsApp

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone have any insights into why the commonly used guns argument is not good enough for encryption? If we ban guns(encryption), only the criminals will have it. The only thing I can think of is that the majority of people who advocate for encryption are anti-gun, and don't want to give strength to that argument?

I have never understood why the USA anti-gun lobby doesn't go after ammunition rather than guns. Just ban ammunition and a gun just becomes a not so dangerous club.

At the level of simple firearms, arms are arms. You're going to have to argue 2A regardless.
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