With all the security and privacy concerns these days, it’s only natural that messaging apps are all slowly starting to offer end-to-end encryption. Nearly two months after WhatsApp added end-to-end encryption to its app, the word on the street is that Facebook Messenger will be offering it as well soon; albeit with a price.
Users want privacy and they are becoming more and more conscious of the security of their digital communications. Encryption is a very logical step, and it’s great news to hear that technology companies are looking out for their users. However, by encrypting content, users will end up losing certain new AI functionalities from their apps. Facebook Messenger is one of these apps, where encryption will stand in the way of improving services for users. Messenger has been turned into an intelligent system in the last year, and with Facebook investing heavily in AI and machine-learning, it is integrating the technology into its apps.
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Messenger will be getting end-to-end encryption in the next few months, but some of its machine-learning functions will be useless if encryption is default. As encrypted content can’t be read by governments, shady organisations or law enforcement, it also can’t be read by Facebook itself. In order for personal customisations, bots, or a personal assistant like M to interact properly with users, there is a certain amount of information that Facebook’s machine-learning engines need. So, there is a clear tradeoff between secure communications and user-privacy, and functionality.
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There are currently over 900 million users on Messenger, so Facebook really can’t keep every one of them happy. This is one reason that Facebook may make end-to-end encryption opt-in when it is eventually activated.
Image credit: techcruch.com
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