Facebook has joined the exclusive list of messaging apps that offers users end-to-end encryption for their chats, ensuring that our conversations are kept secret.
The social media giant released a post on their official site that the app is being tested and it will enable users to create one-to-one secret conversations that cannot be accessed even by Facebook. Its just in testing stage but the company has promised that it will make the feature available more widely later this year.
We are starting to test the ability to create one-to-one secret conversations in Messenger that will be end-to-end encrypted and which can only be read on one device of the person you’re communicating with. That means the messages are intended just for you and the other person — not anyone else, including us.”
Already, Apple uses the end-to-end encryption feature for both its iMessages and FaceTime apps and in April this year, Whatsapp which os owned by Facebook also adopted the secret conversation feature. So you don’t have to worry about your Whatsapp messages being accessed by anyone, anywhere outside your device.
However, Facebook is taking a different approach from the Apple and Whatsapp own. Facebook says the secret conversation feature will be an option that people can choose to activate when they feel they need to chat and they want it all to be secret. The option will be known as Secret Conversations.
Starting a secret conversation with someone is optional. That’s because many people want Messenger to work when you switch between devices, such as a tablet, desktop computer or phone. Secret conversations can only be read on one device and we recognize that experience may not be right for everyone. It’s also important to note that in secret conversations we don’t currently support rich content like GIFs and videos, making payments, or other popular Messenger features.”
The social messaging giant has published a white paper outlining the approach it has taken. According to the white paper, images included in secret conversations are also encrypted, but metadata is not. So it may not be entirely a secret one that can’t be decrypted by an expert.
But then, it is a step in the right direction especially at this time that there are heightening fears about the privacy of personal detailss within Facebook. With this, Facebook has taken a solid step in reassuring us that our personal information, messages, images are all safe on Facebook.
