WhatsApp in India: Schneier on Security

Clive Robinson • April 30, 2024 10:05 AM

@ ALL,

The practical solutions to the “End To End Encryption”(E2EE) have been known for a very long time. Claude Shannon provided a fundamental mathematical proof almost a century ago in the early 1940s, if not earlier.

However, E2EE is just a small element of the privacy dilemma.

To fully grasp this, one must realize that privacy requires some level of thought and effort, which many are reluctant to invest in.

Those who prioritize privacy often stand out starkly unless they go to great lengths to conceal themselves. Therefore, the cost of preserving privacy continues to escalate. This cost escalation benefits some while harming others, both from a technological and societal perspective.

For the sake of convenience, many have unwittingly embraced a reality akin to Orwellian surveillance.

Regarding the notion that “smart criminals will simply migrate to other platforms”, history has indicated otherwise, as the ease of electronic communication has made mass surveillance more cost-effective for those who profit from it. Society dictates that individuals must participate in mass surveillance at their own expense or face ostracism.

It is imperative to recognize that we are, in essence, “sleepwalking into a trap of our own creation,” unknowingly becoming victims of surveillance tactics.

The question then arises: What actions will the afflicted individuals take against those perpetrating harm?

[1] Over the years, I have outlined a comprehensive privacy strategy that emphasizes not only hard work but also its fragility. Unlike in the past, nothing transmitted on “approved channels” is ephemeral. The prevailing “record it all” ideology is akin to surveillance entities constructing a “Time Machine” to retroactively apply current information and methods to past events for punitive purposes.