whats App users the company's got something for you

 Whats App has notified its users that the end-to-end encryption it offers for messages and media on its app, will not remain so if the data is stored as a backup on Google’s servers. “Media and messages you back up aren't protected by Whats App end-to-end encryption while in Google Drive,” Whats App said in an update on its site.
The explicit mention comes even as the Facebook-owned company said on August 16 that it has signed a pact with Google to allow users to store messages on the internet company’s cloud storage offering -drive, without any quota from November 12. Till now, a Whats App user's data could be stored on Google drive but this was counted within the 15 GB free space that a Google account offered.
Whats App had also in the past (2017) explained to users that data of the messaging app stored on Google drive is not encrypted. However Whats App's end-to-end encryption has been questioned by authorities. Notably, the Indian government has called on the messaging platform to offer trace-ability of messages sent on the app. It has reiterated that Whats App has not done enough in using technology to trace the origin of rumors spread on the platform that led to violence in several parts of the country.
Whats App has asserted that its messages are encrypted and it cannot offer trace ability. “As a Whats App user you have the choice to not backup your data to Google Drive,” said Sai Krishna Kothapalli, an independent security researcher. “They (Whats App) are not forcing you to backup. It is a feature. So, if you trust Google, you can enable it.” At the same time, he added, “if law enforcement agencies requests Google for specific user data, they have to comply.”
Whats App provides end-to-end encryption, meaning the message a user sends can only be read by the recipient and vice versa. Further, Whats App guarantees protection to users from third parties trying to eavesdrop on conversations, and even prevents Whats App itself from reading the messages. While the messaging platform itself is encrypted, “for users who choose to backup, the messages are decrypted on your phone and sent to your drive as backup,” Kothapallli said,  adding that this is where there could be cause for action. A mail to Whats App seeking additional comments did not elicit response on Sunday.


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