WhatsApp gets end-to-end encryption for phone calls
WhatsApp for Android, iOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone will soon receive support for end-to-end encryption for telephony calls. This is evident from texts on the translation page of the chat service. Also, end-to-end encryption is coming to group conversations.
WhatsApp is going to significantly expand its security functionality, according to texts presented to volunteer translators for the service. The service announced in 2014 that it would implement end-to-end encryption and has been deploying the security for Android instant messaging ever since, but the chat company doesn’t officially say anything about it in its FAQs.
That will soon change and there will be a special section to explain security for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, with the service emphasizing that neither WhatsApp nor third parties can view the messages. It’s not just about messages, but also calls. “If specified, your calls and the messages you send will automatically use end-to-end encryption,” the translations read.
The apps will also receive support for secure group conversations, according to the text to be translated: “This group is end-to-end encrypted. To verify, select a participant and choose the …menu.” Users will also be notified if a secure chat session is not fully end-to-end encrypted, because the recipient is not yet on a version of WhatsApp that supports it. The service will deploy codes with which users can verify the identity of their interlocutor, as protection against man-in-the-middle attacks. If users’ security codes change, their contacts can be notified.
For the implementation, WhatsApp is working together with Open Whisper Systems, which itself develops the Signal app, which is considered safe in security circles. With end-to-end encryption, the encryption is set up directly between the two chatting parties. WhatsApp’s move ensures that the privacy of private conversations of millions of users worldwide is better protected and it becomes considerably more difficult for, for example, intelligence services to view the communication.
Update 16.00, initially this message only mentioned Android, but the relevant texts can also be found in the translation sections for iOS, BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone. The message has been adjusted accordingly.