Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience, where he discussed the security of WhatsApp messages. While emphasizing that messages are protected with end-to-end encryption, Zuckerberg dropped a bombshell: government agencies like the CIA could still access them physically. Get ready to discover the truth behind the app's privacy and what it means for your personal data.
Over the years, there have been many questions raised about Meta's reliability. It has been alleged that Meta showed bias during election periods by prioritizing the posts of certain groups. Additionally, during the pandemic, limitations were placed on posts regarding vaccine side effects.
After BTK blocked access to Instagram and Roblox, people began to wonder whether the government could view WhatsApp messages.
Zuckerberg explained that WhatsApp's encryption prevents messages from being viewed. He clarified that end-to-end encryption ensures that WhatsApp messages cannot be seen by Meta's servers. However, this protection does not cover the data stored on the user's device.
'What encryption does is ensure that the company running the service cannot see it. If you're using WhatsApp, there is no moment where Meta's servers can see the content of that message.'
Agencies like the CIA can use spyware, such as Pegasus, to access messages stored on your device. According to Zuckerberg, such spyware allows for surveillance without interrupting the transmission of encrypted messages, enabling the reading of messages, viewing of photos, and access to call records.
He mentions that if someone gains control of your phone, they can see everything. However, he points out that encryption and disappearing messages are good security measures.