What is WhatsApp End to End Encryption
Acc to WhatsApp:
Privacy and security is in our DNA, which is why we built end-to-end encryption into our app. When end-to-end encrypted, your messages, photos, videos, voice messages, documents, status updates and calls are secured from falling into the wrong hands.
Reference From: WhatsApp Official Message about End To End Encryption.
Last night i came across a screen on my phone. I am attaching a screen shot along with.
What happened i was trying to forward a funny video to more than one person as we do most of times. I got a message from WhatsApp Android App that WhatsApp will not allow me to send this video to more than one person.
“Official Reason: This video has already been fwdd many times before.”
Well, it happened to me before as well, but this time my mind woke up and put a question ? Am i really covered with this so called End to End Encryption?
My Answer would be: NO
Why i say WhatsApp is not End to End Encrypted?
I think i have the answer from my little knowledge about encryption.
If WhatsApp is seriously proctored from one end to other end (User to User), then how does whatsapp know that this particular video has been forwarded many many times?
Research about this leak in Encryption
From the above research, i can easily say that WhatsApp has a track of any video/Audio/Text/Photo/PDF or any other supported file that we forward to our contacts. When we fwd any message first it goes to the server and then it enters to the receivers phone. On the server there are unique binary codes added to every particular message. Then this message will be tracked every time it passes the server.
Now, when server finds the message with unique code is spreading and whatsapp ads a layer on it that also has been given some graphics on the top. (Refer to image)
Then WhatsApp Software installed in the phone checks that graphical interface and stops us to send that message to more than one person.
Good part of adding binary codes to messages:
By the way, all these steps are ate taken just because of safety. Because this action can help stop spreading the rumors.
Worst part of it
Unfortunately this action taken by WhatsApp creates a loop hole in the End to End Encryption advertised by them. So we will have to accept now that we re end to end protected, but not really they way we want.
Ohhh! I miss my BlackBerry Messenger – The one and only BBM
Final Words:
That”s OK because this measure has been introduced because of our own safety from fake news in the times where Social Media is misused. WhatsApp ensures that we are still protected and they do not share any information and they claim even WhatsApp in unable to look into any of our messages. So relax.