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Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

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Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#61

Post by whatyesaid »

rodorgas wrote: post #42
est31 wrote: post #4

> WhatsApp can now read your recent messages when you report a user This feature is just an extension of manually making a screenshot and attaching it to the messages. As much as I like E2EE, I don't see where the problem lies? It's you who opts in into getting a third party involved. E2EE doesn't mean that no third party is ever going to see the content, it only means that nobody sees it by default .

The difference is that a screenshot may be fake. If the intermediary is revealing user private messages, it’s a stronger evidence than just making up a photoshopped screenshot.

If I pulled up the conversation on my phone and showed you the display, it's a bit more than just a fake Photoshopped screenshot.

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#62

Post by Asraelite »

sneak wrote: post #53
rodorgas wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is that a screenshot may be fake. If the intermediary is revealing user private messages, it’s a stronger evidence than just making up a photoshopped screenshot.

I imagine that the API-based uploads of the recent decrypts from the user being reported can also be faked, so I'm not sure that this is a very important distinction.

There is some difference in the skill level required to convincingly craft a fake screenshot versus to spoof an API request, but yeah, it's not a huge difference.

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#63

Post by ThePhysicist »

That's what most people don't seem to get with E2EE: The messages are still readable to the software, so with a simple software update they can be trivially extracted. E2EE doesn't provide so much benefit if you don't also control the client software.

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#64

Post by sneak »

est31 wrote: post #59
sneak wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As much as I like E2EE, I don't see where the problem lies? It's a step along a continuum where the end-to-end encrypted messenger wasn't uploading plaintext before, and now it is. Apple's similar previously end-to-end encrypted iMessage went through a similar evolution: now iOS uploads the complete iMessage plaintext history to Apple (with Apple keys) via iCloud Backup. We now know that Facebook deems it okay to e…

Facebook should definitely make it explicit that by reporting, you share the last N messages with that account with Facebook and make them accessible to Facebook employees/contractors. Regarding the iMessage backup thing, I fully agree with you that it's a major problem. But it's a different thing. Also, again, the feature already exists. You can already make screenshots and share them with facebook, with the world,…

> Regarding the iMessage backup thing, I fully agree with you that it's a major problem. But it's a different thing.

It's certainly a different product thing, yes. But from an Alice-Mallory-Bob end-to-end encryption block diagram it's the exact same thing: Bob's device is sending Alice's plaintext, post-decryption, to Mallory (using Mallory's TLS keys).

> If the feature gets changed to something that they can initiate, I would agree that it's bad. But this isn't.

Considering that many (most?) users have app auto-update turned on, it's not entirely certain that Facebook can't initiate it.

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#65

Post by _vmyf »

personjerry wrote: post #43
varispeed wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it mean messages can be read without agreement? Let's imagine "a glitch" where operator sees that user has opt in, but they didn't - can they see messages?

It tells you clearly on the report screen, before you submit, as I recall.

~~Suppose law enforcement reports a user to build a case against them, then the user's message could be subpoenaed right?~~

~~Even worse, 3 letter agencies~~

Forget I said anything

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#66

Post by rowanG077 »

whatyesaid wrote: post #61
rodorgas wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is that a screenshot may be fake. If the intermediary is revealing user private messages, it’s a stronger evidence than just making up a photoshopped screenshot.

If I pulled up the conversation on my phone and showed you the display, it's a bit more than just a fake Photoshopped screenshot.

How so? Editing a video to do that is not any harder than photoshopping a screenshot.

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#67

Post by DangerousPie »

aerovistae wrote: post #46

It's pretty hard to imagine a circumstance in which I would be reporting a WhatsApp user. This isn't like a public forum. These are one-on-one conversations or group chats with people who were specifically invited. If someone was a problem, I would just block them. Why would you ever report someone? I haven't ever heard of this happening.

Spam? Sure you can just block them, but if you report them WhatsApp might be able to stop them from spamming others.

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#68

Post by ffpip »

selykg wrote: post #40
ffpip wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing wrong with it. I'm posting it because it's a new thing in Whatsapp, the worlds most popular messenger, and I wanted people to know of this change.

Your wording choice for the title makes it seem otherwise. It makes it sound like it's some big warning or big deal. Perhaps choose your words more carefully?

Please suggest a better title. I'll try to improve. Many users have complained.

There is a 80 character limit.

Btw I meant it as a warning. Your messages may be uploaded when you report a user

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#69

Post by iso1210 »

Whenever I see anything about whatsapp, I can't help but think of it's rather unenthusiastic reception when it launched

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/952359-tho...

And especially his post in 2014 how the takeover deal was interfering with his award ticket

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/952359-tho...

Re: Reporting a user to WhatsApp forwards a copy of recent messages from that chat

#70

Post by ffpip »

JohnBerea wrote: post #52
ffpip wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if it is included in your Google takeout. 98% of users enable that option. The fact that whatsapp is e2ee is a complete lie. Use Signal for true e2ee, or if you don't like it, Telegram. Telegram stores everything in the cloud tho. (they haven't disclosed any private messages, and are much more trustworthy than Whatsapp). They just wanted to back up messages without giving it to Google/Apple

Shouldn't we prefer Matrix over Signal, since it's federated and doesn't require a phone number / phone to sign up.

It's just something about Matrix. I don't know what it is. I've never opened the app after logging in.

It has a good UX which is rare for open source apps. It seems to be based around a decent community. But I don't know why I don't use it.

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