Revealed: Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, Snapchat planning serious privacy improvements
As the war over encryption between Apple and the FBI rages on, Silicon Valley is taking a stand.
Three of the world’s leading technology firms are set to ramp up their privacy efforts in the near future, a report claims.
According to the Guardian, Facebook, Google, and Snapchat are all planning significant improvements to their security technology.
WhatsApp, for instance, is said to be planning a rollout of encryption for voice calls.
Around one billion users use the Facebook-owned app monthly at present, which means the new encryption system will impact around a seventh of the global population.
It’s also said that Facebook is “considering beefing up security of its own Messenger tool”.
Facebook has over 1.5 billion monthly active users
Snapchat, meanwhile, is reportedly “working on a secure messaging system”, while Google is exploring an encrypted email project.
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It’s worth noting that all of these projects started before Apple’s court battle with the Department of Justice began, the Guardian reports.
Apple is currently fighting the FBI over a request to create an encryption backdoor in the iPhone to allow the US government entry into a handset belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters.
Do you think technology companies should do more to keep our data safe? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.