Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Some Redditors unexpectedly bought an encrypted message whereas taking part in a big group chat.
- It was later found that group chat end-to-end encryption was enabled by Google Messages.
- It seems that group chat end-to-end encryption is within the early testing stage.
In the case of privateness, Google Messages nonetheless has some work to do. Nonetheless, a current discovery by some Redditors means that Google may very well be making ready to make its communication platform much more safe quickly.
To enhance communication privateness, Google launched end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS on Google Messages in late 2020. That E2EE solely applies to 1-on-1 conversations, sadly. Nonetheless, in accordance with 9To5Google, Google did affirm earlier this yr that it deliberate on bringing encryption to RCS group chats, providing late 2022 as when the open beta may start. Because of this up till now, group chats had been left utterly unencrypted.
Now it appears to be like like that may very well be altering within the close to future. On the r/GoogleMessages subreddit, consumer D3rocks4u posted a picture of an encrypted message that popped up of their 20-plus member group chat that contained each Google Messages and Samsung Messages customers. After additional investigation, it was found that end-to-end encryption within the group chat was enabled by Google Messages.
Primarily based on the invention, it appears Google is at the moment within the early levels of testing out the safety characteristic. It’s doable that for true E2EE to occur, everybody would want to have E2EE enabled, in any other case the app probably reverts again to being unencrypted.
If you happen to’re questioning why Google isn’t bringing E2EE to SMS, briefly, the format doesn’t help it. So if you wish to benefit from the privateness that comes from E2EE, you then’ll want to ensure RCS is turned on.
