What is WhatsApp End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)?

WhatsApp by Meta claims to be the most end-to-end encrypted messaging platform. For this reason, it has now plunged to the 3rd most reliable social media app worldwide as per Statista with 2.4 billion worldwide users. some acclaim WhatsApp for stealing and selling public metadata to marketing bigwigs. Still, multiple perspectives and queries of WhatsApp users need to be addressed. Is WhatsApp end-to-end encryption a myth? keep scrolling, and discover what it’s all about.

What is WhatsApp End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)?

What is End to end-to-end encryption?

WhatsApp announced its end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as the safest path between the senders and the receiver. No one can jump in between to steal your private data. Most importantly, WhatsApp in itself is unable to fetch any data of its users.

As per WhatsApp’s privacy policy, your messages are protected by a Signal encryption protocol. WhatsApp automatically attaches a code to your messages that your receiver can only unlock.

How to check if your chat is end-to-end encrypted?

The chats between you and your receiver, have a specific security code a cryptographic lock that ensures end-to-end encryption. Only the recipients have the keys to open your message that keep changing with every new message automatically. Still, you can verify that are you talking to the right person from the steps below:

  • Open your desired chat
  • Tap on the contact’s name to open the contact info screen
  • Now tap on Encryption to view the 60-digit code or QR code.
  • If your contact is sitting next to you, you can physically scan the QR code.
  • Otherwise, send them the 60-digit code to verify
  • Through this manual verification, you can ensure that your conversation is safe.

Is WhatsApp backup also end to End encrypted?

WhatsApp lets you take a backup of your WhatsApp database in various spots such as Google Drive or iCloud. In that scenario, the E2EE becomes more questionable and vulnerable to third-party attacks. Therefore, WhatsApp gives various methods for your data backup protection given as follows:

Password protection:

WhatsApp provides you with a security layer for your data backup. whenever you back your data in iCloud or Google Drive, WhatsApp asks you to set a password or 64-digit encryption key that you can change afterward.

Turn Off End to End Encrypted backups

However, you can turn off these End-to-End encrypted backups. For that, WhatsApp asks you about your PIN, biometric, or any password that you have chosen for your data protection. Turning off your backup, your data won’t be able to be stored in iCloud or Google Drive.

If you do not want your device to make End, to End encrypted backups you can simply turn it off in the following steps:

  • Visit WhatsApp settings >Chats > Chats Backup
  • Tap on End-to-End Encrypted backups
  • Turn off the Backup button. It requires you to enter your Password or encryption key
  • After entering the password, press turn off. Here you go!

Turn On End to End Encrypted backups

To turn on End-to-End Encrypted Backups, you can check out the following steps:

  • Open your WhatsApp settings. Go to Chats> Chat backups.
  • Now, tap on End-to-end encrypted backups.
  • Tap on Open your WhatsApp setting. Go to Chats> Chat backups.
  • While turning it on, it will ask you to create a password or a 64-digit encryption key.
  • Generate the password and press turn backups on.
  • Your WhatsApp will start
  • taking the secured and encrypted backups.

How to Protect Your WhatsApp IP in WhatsApp Calls through PC?

Making WhatsApp calls through a PC also raises a natural question of IP address protection against any malicious attack. Although WhatsApp has natural IP protection, you can add an extra layer to your IP protection by following WhatsApp settings:

  • Open settings> privacy
  • Tap Advanced settings
  • Here you can turn On and OFF the IP protection mode

The Core Concerns About WhatsApp End-to-End Encryption

Following are some of the core public concerns regarding WhatsApp E2EE:

Acquisition of WhatsApp by meta is in itself a question mark, where Facebook is notorious for observing keenly its user’s metadata and utilizing it for marketing purposes.

WhatsApp appeases influential Agencies by providing the users’ private data. This is how law agencies collect your information:

Using metadata, the data backups are vulnerable to being misused even protected by E2EE encryptions. This is because using your metadata, someone can access your contacts. At the same time, it is not probable for your every contact to take encrypted data backups.

Outlook:

There are multiple pointing fingers at WhatsApp about its end-to-end encryption. Especially, after its acquisition by Meta has made its users more dubious. However, the doubts usually lack the staunch evidence to back them up. On the contrary, there are some core public concerns that WhatsApp needs to clarify to its users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your metadata is just like an envelope that contains the specific information in it. It includes your timestamps, location, recipients, etc. Handing over this metadata to Law enforcement agencies, marketing trend settlers, or agents with other political purposes could be a core exploitation of public privacy. What WhatsApp with this metadata, is still to be clarified so far.

Well, WhatsApp secures and encrypts all your crucial data such as your bank numbers, cards, etc. However, the involvement of financial institutions makes it compulsory to reveal your transaction data for your transactions to happen. Therefore, your payments are not end-to-end encrypted.

WhatsApp claims that it does not and cannot produce any user information at the request of any law enforcement agency. On the other hand, it lays down some scenarios where can produce or retain some user data upon validation of requests by governments or law enforcement agencies. Against any request, it informs the users if their data is being requested.