The ongoing legal battle between Apple and the US Government, to unlock a criminal"s iPhone, has made encryption a big talking point for online users recently. After supporting Apple"s stand in the case, many technology companies are now reportedly working on increasing their own efforts to protect user data.
According to a report from The Guardian, some of the big companies that will be rolling out encryption to more services include Facebook and Google. Facebook is said to be considering end-to-end encryption for its own Messenger platform while voice calls made using the WhatsApp Messenger will be encrypted in the coming months.
Snapchat, the ephemeral messaging app that has faced criticism over mishandling of sensitive data and lapses in security, also revealed it"s working on a secure messaging system to avoid mishaps in the future.
Many governments have sought access to encrypted data citing security reasons, which have at times led to services being banned in certain countries. Some of the most notableincidents of technology bans include the restrictions on BlackBerry services in UAE and Pakistan, and the recent Brazilian crackdown on WhatsApp for about 24 hours. However, it is great to see that these companies are committed to their user"s interests and not succumbing to pressures of the governments.
Source: The Guardian via Engadget | Image via Absolute Blog