Apple claims that it has one of the most secure ecosystems, and with the iPhone, users are in full control of their privacy and data. Although many people actually buy Apple’s claimsand here they are cases in which the words of Apple have proven to be true, security experts around the world believe that users should be proactive about their privacy, regardless of the device or smartphone they use.
Apple security expert and CEO of Spylix Steven Walker has stated in an interview that regardless of what Apple says, people should be careful with a particular app and never install it on their iPhones, ever. That app is Facebook Messenger. Spylix is ​​a phone tracking app used by government agencies around the world. Walker believes that just because an app is extremely popular doesn’t mean it’s safe to use. He also says that because of the popularity of Facebook Messenger, people often don’t think of it as a problematic app. The main reason Walker believes that Facebook Messenger compromises a user’s privacy and data is twofold. First, it’s owned by Meta, formerly owned by Facebook, a company that doesn’t have a clean record when it comes to using user data on its platform. Second, and this is the most pertinent reason for Walker, is the fact that Facebook Messenger doesn’t have end-to-end encryption. Walker believes there are several other instant messaging options users can choose from. WhatsApp, although owned by Facebook, is still much more secure than Facebook Messenger. WhatsApp has around 2 billion active users worldwide, almost twice as many as Facebook Messenger. Then there are the apps like Telegram and Signal. Although not as popular as WhatsApp, both have been developed with security and privacy in mind. Apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram offer end-to-end encryption, which is increasingly becoming a vital feature in instant messaging apps. Meta has claimed that they are working on end-to-end encryption, but have fallen behind on their deadlines multiple times. Initially, Facebook Messenger was supposed to get end-to-end encryption no later than 2022. Now, Facebook has pushed the deadline back to 2023. The folks at Meta say they’re concerned about bad actors abusing end-to-end encryption. extreme, and so they want to take their time to get the system working properly. If that were the case, one can’t help but wonder, how come such concerns aren’t an issue for WhatsApp? Via: FirstPost
