The issue of privacy on the Internet has become one of the most difficult issues for cybersecurity today. The problem became even more difficult to pin down when social media invaded the world. While social media today offers more security on their platforms by strengthening their end-to-end encryption algorithms, they still face paranoia from some federal governments. They fear that these security criteria are a way out for criminals and terrorists.

After a year in 2018 that was tormented by lawsuits of all kinds, Facebook came out with an idea to say the least unexpected. The social media giant has decided to unify its various messaging platforms. The goal behind this is to allow a Facebook user to send a message to a third party who only has a WhatsApp or Instagram account, which is currently not possible. The decision made a lot of noise at the beginning of the year, but there is also that the communications will now be encrypted.

“We are working to make more and more of our messaging products integrate end-to-end encryption and think of ways to facilitate network communication with family and friends,” said a Facebook spokesperson last January.

While merging the messaging services, Zuckerberg returns to his initial position that Instagram and WhatsApp would operate independently of the social network, but what he did not specify is that the company also had the idea to reinvent the concept of end-to-end encryption.

One of the main points of contention regarding the integration of applications is related to the confidentiality of the data. Currently, WhatsApp users are not required to provide their name or other identifying information outside of their phone number to use the email application. The merger with Facebook Messenger and Instagram could force WhatsApp users to reveal information about them that they prefer to keep private.

Source : Developpez