Trump now threatens the security of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger

Y of all those companies that have messaging and communication services with user-to-user encryption. That is, any application that protects the conversations of those who use it. All this in favor of the state security of the United States, for whom locating and stopping terrorists seems to be the first priority Even if this means weakening the privacy and security of the rest of users.

The information comes from the Politico media, where they have echoed the meeting held last Wednesday by senior officials of the Trump administration , the so-called National Security Council. Apparently this meeting served to discuss the need to legislate against the encryption or security applied by large technology companies to their services. Something that could turn the tables for law enforcement in the United States to have access to conversations, chats, content and other elements of messaging applications and other services.

The idea of ​​this meeting would be the need to propose to the United States Congress to outlaw user-to-user encryption That is, a protection that encodes the content sent so that only the sender and the receiver can see the message. Something that keeps hackers at bay, but also governments, the police, bodies like the FBI or spies and other intelligence characters.A measure that is becoming more widespread to protect users of different services and, above all, the content they share. Something that is present in WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage and many other similar applications and tools

If this measure were carried out, companies like Google, Apple or Facebook would have to lower the security and privacy of their services. Or install backdoors in them so that the police or other agencies can access the contents. Something that would prevent the current use of applications such as WhatsApp for drug trafficking, sending pedophile content or as a communication tool for terrorists. Of course, this decision is double-edged weapon.

While for the FBI and the Department of Justice this measure is considered positive, for other organs of the United States government such as the Departments of State and Commerce it would have some consequences important diplomatic, economic and security issuesOr at least that is reflected in the Polico media.

At the moment no details are known about the decision of this meeting. Everything indicates that the issue will escalate and gain more presence soon.

The Dangers of Back Doors

Encryption from user to user or end-to-end has spread as a method of protection for users of messaging applications in recent times. So effective is it that even the FBI itself had to ask Apple for help to try to access the cell phone of the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist And insisted on legal means so that the technology company gave access to the FBI to check the contents of the mobile. Something that did not happen in the end to avoid putting other iPhone users at risk.

And the problem with installing backdoors or conduits that bypass encryption in applications and services is that any hacker can discover it and use it to their advantageThrough reverse engineering techniques it is possible to investigate and take advantage of these security doors. In other words, if Apple, Facebook or Google end up lowering privacy, the FBI and other organizations will be able to spy on users and find terrorists and criminals sooner, but it will also lead to other users, convicted or not, being able to spied on and their contents unprotected.